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AGM Ticker - Special Early Edition #2

The Ticker is the newsletter format reserved for bringing you the latest, important and overall necessary information for preparing your participation in the upcoming GYA Annual General Meeting (AGM).

Welcome to the second Ticker in our run-up to the AGM 2023! Like the first one, you will find intoductory details about our GYA AGM, and the conference, links and information about funding, and why you should look into it already. Do consider taking the time to prepare a Lightning Talk. And, last but not least, follow us to get to know Rwanda a little more – and get your first travel preparation tips already.

The 2023 Conference: Technological Innovations for Discovering Solutions to the World’s Greatest Current Challenges

Planning for the AGM and Conference is well underway. Conference sessions will explore technlological innovations in the context of vaccine production and equitable distribution, engaging youth, taking local action with a global view, and more. GYA working groups are planning various workshops, and panels are taking shape: we will share the programme in February when registration opens.

Expect information about the programme, along with more details on co-funding and travelling to come your way in February 2023. Right now, the one thing that you should really look into is submitting an abstract for a Lightning Talk.

Reminder: The Lightning Talks

A valuable part of the AGM and Conference is connnecting with GYA members around the world by learning about their fields of expertise. Lightning Talks showcase the diverse research areas of the GYA membership, and provide a space to learn about your fellow members’ work.

Anina Rich (Macquarie University, Australia) was a member of the GYA between 2015 and 2020. She served on the Executive Committee two terms in a row (2018-2020). This is her Lightning Talk on colour perception, recorded at the 2019 AGM in Halle/Salle, Germany.

We encourage all interested GYA Members and Alumni to submit an abstract and give a Lightning Talk! Find the information here:

Call for Abstracts for Lightning Talks - 2023 Annual General Meeting and International Conference (globalyoungacademy.net)

Reminder: Look into funding

This AGM and Conference might just be our biggest one to date as the majority of current members have never met in person yet! An equally high number of previously outgoing members missed out on their farewell. Thus, let the GYA Office remind you that in order for you to be able to attend in person in Kigali, it is vital that you look into funding sources other than those the Office may be able to provide. Funds are tight as we look at three-times the number of current and previous new members and alumni.

One option is to prepare a Lightning Talk as your contribution to this year’s gathering, so that you might then apply for funding from your work institution. There will be more ways too, e.g., contact your institution, explore your networks. Contact us to find out how we may assist in your plan of action to aquire funding.

Extensive information about GYA (co-)funding for the AGM 2023 will find its way to the AGM Website in February. Until then, please contact us via email at info@globalyoungacademy.net in case you have questions or require an individual invitation letter for your institution.

Prepare for Rwanda: A few things to know and do now

Visas - Citizens of all countries get a 30-days visa upon arrival, without prior application. Do note that costs will be around 50 USD. Find more information on Visas here.

Should you wish to stay longer, please look into the acquisition thereof yourself. Reimbursement of visa costs for extended stays is not possible from the GYA.

Passport - Your passport needs to be valid for 6 months upon arrival and have at least one spare page. Now is a great time to check the expiration date of your passport and get a new one if needed.

Vaccinations - The WHO advises visitors to vaccinate against hepatitis A, hepatitis B, typhoid, cholera, yellow fever, rabies, meningitis and tetanus before visiting Rwanda.

Do consider that malaria is endemic in Rwanda. Antimalarials are the best protection against infection. Be sure to use mosquito repellents as a second barrier against the disease.

Furthermore, vaccination against yellow fever might be a requirement if you are coming from a country where yellow fever is endemic or where there is an active yellow fever outbreak. Please check your local information on travelling to Rwanda.

Covid19 - At this point (January 2023), a COVID-19 vaccination or test is not required when entering Rwanda. Do stay alert on this matter and ensure to check back before travelling. Regulations might change.

Prepare for Rwanda: A country of a Thousand Hills Pt 2

Name: Republic of Rwanda

Capital City: Kigali

Currency: Rwandan Franc (FRW)

Time Zone: UTC +2 (Central Africa Time)

Official languages: Kinyarwanda, English, French

Location: Rwanda shares borders with Uganda (in the North), Tanzania (in the East), Burundi (in the South) and the Democratic Republic of Congo (in the West). Rwanda’s total area is 26,338 square kilometres, with a population density estimated to be 445 people per km² square kilometres.

Weather: The warmest annual average temperatures are found in the eastern low-lying (20 - 21°C) and Bugarama Valley (23 - 24°C), and cooler temperatures in higher elevations of the central plateau (17.5 - 19°C) and highlands (less than 17°C). Temperatures vary a little throughout the year.

Geography and Vegetation: Rwanda is also known for its beauty of the nation. The landscapes in this green country are truly breathtaking. Most of the visitors to Rwanda have remarked that the physical beauty of the country is without equal on the African continent.

Rwanda has five volcanoes, twenty-three lakes and numerous rivers, some forming the source of the Nile River. Spectacular volcanoes and dense tropical forests dominate the north of the country, while gentle hills and valleys, calm lakes and turbulent rivers in both savannah and dense tropical vegetation dominate the rest of the country.

Kigali: There are plenty of videos providing impressions of Kigali on the net. We picked out this one, which contains well over 40 minutes of impressions filmed all over Kigali:

We hope you are as excited about an in-person meeting as we are this year. The next few months will fly by and there is so much to prepare. This Special Early Ticker is the last of the ‘early’ variety, and end of February we will switch over to the regular Ticker mailings. Expect (much) more information about funding, traveling, the event itself, registration and all the other details you will need to plan for the 2023 in-person AGM.

Until then, look into sending us the abstract for your Lightning Talk, take care and stay healthy.

Best,

Your GYA Office