COVID-19 and our decision on the 14th General Conference

ECPR announces that its 2020 General Conference will be offered as a digital event

Due to the ongoing conditions, we are unable to hold this year’s General Conference at the University of Innsbruck from 26–28 August. Instead, we will provide participants with a digital platform via which to come together, and to share and discuss their research. 

For each of our events scheduled to take place this year, we have carefully monitored the often fast-changing situations across Europe and the rest of the world, liaised closely with our local hosts and taken advice where necessary.

In all cases we have tried to make the decision as late as possible to reflect these changing circumstances, but also as quickly as possible to give our participants some small piece of certainty in uncertain times. It is in this same way that we have made the decision relating to our General Conference.

If there has been any positive to come out of the current situation, it has to be the way in which we have all adapted so quickly to meeting virtually. It has forced us very quickly to be creative and to innovate traditional ways of doings things so we can stay in touch with friends, family and colleagues and continue to work together to share information and ideas. With this in mind, we were delighted that in March our oldest event, the Joint Sessions of Workshops, also became our first ever to be held digitally.  

All of those who have proposed a Panel or Paper to the 2020 General Conference have been informed of the outcome of selection this morning, and successful participants will be invited to take part in the digital event if they wish.

While we are disappointed not to be coming to Innsbruck in our 50^th anniversary year, we are delighted that the University will be hosting the General Conference in 2021.

With many thanks for your continued understanding and support in these very difficult times,

— ECPR Executive Committee