Senior Officers' Meeting 2021 Outcomes
On 19 and 20 October 2021, the Senior Officers of the IARU universities met online, with the discussion held over two group meetings in order to accommodate the different time zones. The Senior Officers exchanged news and updates from their experiences in reopening institutions during the pandemic and reflecting on the lessons learnt from the process. The balance between online and in person teaching, how this might develop in the future and the challenges of maintaining team cohesion with hybrid working patterns were all topics that the Senior Officers considered.
The Cambridge Secretariat shared plans to enhance communication within the IARU community, hoping to initiate the first IARU newsletter and to develop guidance to help support groups, especially those that are newly established or have new leadership. Reports from each IARU group and initiative were received, highlighting the breadth of activity across the IARU network. The meeting was an opportunity to begin re-thinking how local, regional and global relationships are approached (esp. in terms of travel), with the Senior Officers affirming that the need for international collaboration is stronger than ever.
IARU Members can access the confirmed outcomes and meeting Tome.
We now look forward to the Presidents’ Meeting which we hope, travel restrictions permitting, will be an in-person meeting hosted by Cambridge in May 2022.