Our virtual collaboration took the shape of regular brainstorming exchanges about ideas for the TS2 programme, over Zoom and other videoconference platforms, and intense email communication between the nominated Training School Chair Stefan Moal, the local organiser Branko Bošković, the Action Chair Ivan Dodovski and selected Committee members Prof. Alexandra Ioannidou and Dr Meital Pinto.
More electronic communication efforts were involved too, towards other ENTAN colleagues, some of which eventually had to decline participation in the Organising Committee, mostly due to lack of time. Even in that case nevertheless, it has to be noted on the one hand that VM greatly facilitated the decision process, and on the other hand, these colleagues have not ruled out for that matter the idea of proposing a lecture during the actual Training School.
Virtual Mobility gave a chance to each and everyone of us to bring our own suggestions and insights in order to design the two Calls. For example, during VM discussions, the organising committee agreed that trainees – around 20 of them are expected to attend, from a wide variety of ENTAN countries – would be encouraged, as a group assignment, to present and/or assess their own country case. We also agreed that we need not just lectures but more workshops, debate, round table discussion. Online platforms have therefore proved extremely useful, especially in times of pandemic as we all know too well by now, as they have allowed all participants to get together instantly from various localities across Europe and beyond, regardless of the limitations imposed on international traveling by the health crisis. We now have a clearer idea as to how we can make further use of technology in planning future actions for our Training School (e.g. discussing abstracts, peer reviews, trainees’ applications).