Why Fly? Sheffield Symposium on ‘Reducing academic flying’

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Published by Harriet Phipps

Mobilities - General | Projects

Sunday, November 3rd, 2019

Will I never fly again? As I’m preparing a short talk on the compulsions of proximity and connected presence of academic flying, I’m re-reading Dede Boden and Harvey Molotch’s ‘Compulsion of Proximity’, Christian Licoppe’s ‘Connected Presence’ and Jen Southern’s ‘Comobility’.  The human interaction order is so incredibly fine-tuned to embodied and emplaced communication, it is no wonder that we academics fly. But it’s high time to be flying less. That’s why I’m really looking forward to the

Symposium on ‘Reducing academic flying’People in an airport

University of Sheffield, UK – ICOSS, ICOSS Conference Room
Wednesday, 13 November 2019, 9:30 to 16:00

James Faulconbridge and I will be presenting a mobilities perspective on flying. Can’t wait to discuss how we might change the academic aeromobility system with the fantastic group of people they’re bringing together (see here for detail):

Programme

Time Event
9:30-10:00 Arrival with refreshments
10:00-10:15 Introduction: purposes for the day (Matt Watson and Steve Allen)
10:15-11:15 Conceptualising academic flying (12-15 mins each plus discussion):

  • Monika Buscher, Lancaster University, UK – ‘Why do we fly? A discussion of the compulsions and affordances of proximity and connected presence in academic work’
  • Andrew Glover, RMIT, Australia (virtually) – ‘Remoteness and air travel: Australian academics experience of flying for work‘
  • James Faulconbridge, Lancaster University, UK – ‘Conceptualising demand for flying: the ‘synthetic situation’ of academic work‘
11:15-11:30 Break
11:30-12:30 Reflections on initiatives for, and experiences of, flying-less (10-12 mins each plus discussion):

  • Joseph Nevins, Vassar, USA (virtually) – ‘Flying Less As Anti-Violence Practice’
  • Sion Pickering, University of Edinburgh, UK – ‘Improving data reporting and stakeholder engagement to support organisational change‘
  • Kim Nicholas, Lund University, Sweden (virtually) – ‘Adopting, implementing, and scaling up an academic flying less
    policy: Lessons from Lund, Sweden    ‘
  • Renee Timmers, University of Sheffield, UK – ‘A semi-virtual multi-hub conference format to reduce flying and increase inclusivity of academic conferences‘
12:30-13:15 Lunch
13:15-14:15 Current studies and future research possibilities (10-12 mins each plus discussion):

  • Debbie Hopkins, University of Oxford, UK – ‘The tyranny of distance? Academic air travel beyond Europe/America‘
  • Stuart Capstick, Cardiff University, UK – ‘International survey research on the use of aviation by climate change researchers: who does it, and how can we reduce it?’
  • Johan Gärdebo, KTH, Sweden (virtually) – ‘The Travelling Scientist: How Academics Respond to Carbon-Intensive Scholarship in the Early Twenty-first Century‘
14:15-14:35 Project conversation groups selection around key emerging questions and areas
14:35-15:30 Project group discussions and action plan development
15:30-16:00 Project groups report back on action plans and symposium
16:00 Close

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