News:

• 31 January 2025: Abstract Submission Portal opened.
• 3 March 2025: Deadline for Abstract Submission
• 10 March 2025: Proposed contributions review by the SOC
• Mid- April 2025: Acceptance Notifications sent to participants
• May 31th: Final schedule

In order to foster the recognition of the presence of pressures and discrimination in academia that affect the mental health of scientists and astronomers, the EDI committee offers this special session that wants to stress the relevance of awareness in our community and the need to find solutions. The session centres on two aims:

1) Mental health and inclusion: The community recognizes the presence of mostly unspoken pressures and discrimination in academia, that may be increasing in recent years, and that affect all subjects. We aim to highlight the mental health issues affecting scientists and astronomers, while creating a space to share experiences and solutions.

The lunch session is dedicated to a professional training course, a bias training session aimed at new and future leaders, designed to raise awareness and mitigate unconscious biases that still exist in our institutions. The attendees will receive a certificate.

2) Insight into the current state of awareness regarding EDI within the field. We will present the results of the survey conducted across various European Astronomical Societies. By highlighting these issues, we aim to foster a more inclusive and supportive environment within the astronomical community.

Programme

• Block 1: Awareness. 09.00 - 10:30. EDI issues and solutions. Invited and contributed talks accepted for this block. Contributed posters accepted for this block.


Invited/Contributed talks + 1 minute - 1 slide presentation of e-posters related with this block.


• Coffee break: 10:30 -11:00



• Lunch session : Unconscious bias professional training session: Certificate Programme



• Block 2: Mental health and working environment. 15:00 - 16:30. Mental health issues at all levels of the academic career as well as best practices to improve mental health in our institutes. Invited and contributed talks as well as contributed posters accepted for this block.


Invited/Contributed talks + 1 minute - 1 slide presentation of e-posters related with this block.


• Coffee break: 16:30 - 17:00



• Block 3: National Society Feedback & Survey Review. Review of the survey results and open discussion.17:00 - 18:30

Invited speakers

• Mamta Pommier- Block 1: Awareness on EDI policies at workplace
• Dominic Vertue - Block 2: Mental Health
• Zoë Ayres (or another representative from Voices of Academia)- Block 2: Mental Health
• EDI committee - Block 3: Survey results
• Marina Rodriguez- Block 3: Efforts from NAS (Spain)
• Jessica Dempsey- Block 3: TBD

Scientific organisers

• Mamta Pommier (University Catholic of Lyon, France)- Chair
• Paul Beck (ULL & IAC, Tenerife, Spain)
• Silvia Bonoli (Donostia International Physics Center, Spain)
• MariCruz Gálvez Ortiz (CAB INTA-CSIC, Spain)
• Cosimo Inserra (Cardiff University, United Kingdom)
• Monika Jurkovic (Astronomical Observatory of Belgrade, Serbia)

Contact

https://eas.unige.ch/edi.jsp