Annual Report 2007, Ghent

The Link Convenor of the Postgraduate Network replacing Elena Zezlina-Phillips was chosen in February 2007, so that the present report only refers to the activities accomplished between the months of February and December 2007.

ECER 2007, University of Ghent
Due to the support and counseling of the Ghent local organizing committee and the EERA, it was possible to successfully plan and conduct the Pre-Conference at the ECER 2007, counting with about 90 participants. 
 
Issues arising from ECER 2007

• It was concluded that the system of session mentorship must be improved. On the one side, the sessions should be more systematically planned based on the similarity of their themes and on the other, guidelines should be developed for the mentors in order to attempt a better definition of the role of session mentor. Furthermore, the mentors should be informed that they need to fill out a feedback form so that eventual no-shows can be controlled and listed.
• As mentioned above, it was felt that the gap between the number of papers and posters included in the program and those actually presented showed the need to develop a system of avoiding systematic no-shows without cancellation.
• The discussion around the Best Paper Award competition lead to the establishment of a different system of reviewing so that the deadlines can be kept. A group of EERA Council Members has offered to perform a sort of pre-reviewing process in order to support Paul Standish in his decision.
• Plans for the introduction of a conference management system were discussed and welcomed.
  
  

Issues arising from the Network Meeting

The Network Meeting, held on Monday the 17th of September, had a total of 37 participants, which set a difference in relation to last year?s meeting with only 7 attendants. The response to the Network?s role and goals was positive and most of the participants filled out Membership Forms, so that the Network could expand its number of members.
The following issues were discussed:

• Best-paper Award competition
• Reviewing process for the proposals
• Program development
• Importance of social events and networking
• Intervention of EERA Networks during the Pre-Conference
• Possible new Convenors
• Web page improvement
• Mailing list organization
• Funding of the PGN
• Scholarships and financial support for young researchers
• Possibility of founding a Postgraduate Journal.