Several things have happened in the last 24hrs that have important implications for ISSST2020:
- The United States has declared a national emergency
- Travel from most European countries to the United States is now restricted
- Many Universities have declared moratoriums on travel.
These developments have resulted in the cancellation of several academic and other conferences, as well as other public gatherings, and they cast considerable uncertainty on our plans for ISSST2020.
I’ve heard from several people who want to continue to plan an in-real-life event for Pittsburgh in June, because they value ISSST2020 and they believe there’s little to be gained in changing commitments in such a high state of uncertainty. I’ve also heard from people who are convinced that the conference we imagined having is no longer viable.
There are a few things we know for certain:
- We will not place our community members in the position of having to choose between their health and their professional development.
- The needs of our community for networking, relationship building, knowledge sharing, presentation and publication, and innovation remain unchanged.
- We are an incredibly creative, committed, and adaptive group of people.
Thomas P Seager, PhD
President, Sustainability Conoscente Network
