I cannot believe that it has already been 5 days of UGI2011, time certainly flew by. There were so many lectures of such fantastic scopes, discussing a wide range of innovative and exciting geographical topics. I thoroughly enjoyed the conference, learnt a great deal and got to know knowledgeable geographers from around the world. I particularly enjoyed the fact that the schedule, 09:30 – 17:30, was packed with lectures, so there was never a dull moment, unless there was a cancellation, which brings me to the only criticism I have of the way UGI2011 was organized: cancelled talks and meetings.
Among the cancelled talks, there were four that I was really looking forward to attending and networking with the authors. The speakers of those talks were from Malaysia, Iran, Turkey, and China, so I am not sure whether they had experienced visa issues (as often is the case) or there was some mishap in the scheduling. One cancellation that was particularly disappointing was Day 4‘s supposed Meeting of IGU Commission No.3: Biogeography and Biodiversity. Upon speaking to one of the organizers I was told that the local organizing committee simply provides the space for these meetings (without confirming with the chairman whether they are taking place) and that it is up to the individual commissions to utilize it. So, I am baffled that commission meetings are included in the official program even though they have not been confirmed. I think the organizers could have done a better job in minimizing cancellations. Only confirmed lectures and meetings should be included in the official program.
Last but not least, I would like to acknowledge the generous support of the American Association of Geographers and the National Science Foundation for providing the travel grant that enabled my participation at UGI2011. Thank you very much.
Abdulhakim Abdi
