At the 2023 annual meeting in Rostock, the Diversity Roundtable co-speaker team (Maxi Albrecht, Julia Machtenberg, and Miaïna Razakamanantsoa) and the PGF representatives (Lea Espinoza Garrido and Jiann-Chyng Tu) have established a buddy program for annual meetings for anyone who may be interested. The purpose of this program is to provide a direct contact to a buddy in case any help is needed during the conference, whether that is for social or safety purposes. If you are interested in being or having a conference buddy, please register through this form, and/or reach out directly to any of us.
In acknowledgment that some spaces may be more difficult to navigate depending on one's positionality, the buddy program aims to provide a safer conference experience. What is more, the pandemic may have left some early career researchers or those new to German American Studies with less opportunities for forming social and professional networks than previous generations, which the buddy program also wants to address. So whether you simply would like to have a direct opportunity for socializing, feel worried about walking places alone, or just want to have a back-up, you can sign up here. We of course also welcome anyone intent on being a safety partner to sign up. We also want to provide a group chat for those who may prefer that over a singular buddy.
Based on your responses in this form, we will hopefully find a good buddy among those registered, and contact both of you to see if it will work out. At the PGF get-together in Oldenburg, there will also be opportunities for spontaneous matching, and everyone is very welcome to reach out to any of us in person during the conference or via e-mail of course.
Please note that all data will be treated confidentially among the co-speakers and representatives, and only shared with your buddy with your consent.
