The pandemic caused by COVID-19 has profoundly altered our plans for the 7th International Congress on Cultural Studies. We extended deadlines, made presentation formats flexible, rethought schedules, etc. Our main objective was to guarantee the highest quality in face of the limitations imposed by COVID-19.
We had previously announced that we intended to hold an event both online and in person. Unfortunately, after an evaluation on this matter with the Directorate of the Department of Languages and Cultures (DLC), where the event was scheduled to take place, we came to the conclusion that the inclusion of more people, besides students and employees, on the premises of the DLC could pose a risk to the health and safety of everyone.
For this reason, we decided to hold our event completely online. The dates remain the same, as do the speakers and submitted papers. The only difference is that in 2020 our meeting will take place across the screen.
Soon we will return to you, so that you can suggest the best time for the presentation of papers and performances. We intend to guarantee the best possible adaptation to different time zones. We will also try to schedule plenary sessions at times that are most convenient for everyone.
Registrants will have access to all sessions. It will be possible to interact with other participants and with speakers by videoconference. For security reasons, it will be necessary to use a password to access the virtual rooms. We will also have moderators with the power to silence unwanted participants and, if necessary, remove them from the room.
Plenary sessions will also be broadcast openly on our YouTube channel. We will not have open comments, nor the possibility of sending questions through that channel. Only participants who are in our private room will be able to do so. The videos will be available in full on YouTube and we will also produce videos with summaries later. Parallel sessions will not be broadcast publicly.
Our efforts continue to focus on ensuring the highest quality experience possible in our Congress. In order to achieve this goal, your collaboration is essential. Thank you very much for the confidence you have placed in us and we hope to meet everyone on the 21st, 22nd and 23rd of October 2020, this time online.
Maria Manuel Baptista
Alexandre Almeida