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We’re delighted to announce that meetings held under ¹ú²ú×ÔÅÄ’s Regional Dialogues program have wrapped up with success. From 30 October 2020 to 23 March 2021, ¹ú²ú×ÔÅÄ held five Regional Dialogues, via Zoom, aimed at fostering stronger ties between ¹ú²ú×ÔÅÄ and its collective members from Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania.

The goal was to reach out to ¹ú²ú×ÔÅÄ collective members with the goal of further sustaining relationships in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and in light of the postponement of the ¹ú²ú×ÔÅÄ World Congress, both of which have interrupted regular channels of communication with collective members. Some 37 national and regional political science associations across the world responded to ¹ú²ú×ÔÅÄ’s invitation and participated in this meeting series. Each meeting was attended by ¹ú²ú×ÔÅÄ President Marianne Kneuer, Executive Director Kim Fontaine-Skronski and Membership, Communication and Strategy Director Mathieu St-Laurent, and chaired by ¹ú²ú×ÔÅÄ Executive Committee member(s).

During the Regional Dialogues meetings, the following topics were discussed:

• The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on national political science associations and teaching at universities;
• ¹ú²ú×ÔÅÄ services to national associations;
• Other important issues raised by national and regional associations.

This new initiative has provided a unique opportunity to connect with collective members by fostering a broader dialogue between ¹ú²ú×ÔÅÄ and its national political science associations. Smaller regional discussion groups allowed ¹ú²ú×ÔÅÄ to elicit more feedback from our collective members, taking into consideration the realities and challenges specific to each member.

The ¹ú²ú×ÔÅÄ Secretariat is currently preparing a report to evaluate the feedback and suggestions from national and regional associations to improve the cooperation with them. The report will be discussed at the 135th ¹ú²ú×ÔÅÄ Executive Committee (EC) Meeting on 24-25 April 2021.

Regional Dialogues Meetings

The Meeting on Africa, 30 October 2020

• Chair: ¹ú²ú×ÔÅÄ Vice-President & Special Representative for Ethics Christopher Isike 
• Participant Countries/Associations: Angola, Nigeria, South Africa

 Americas, 12 November 2020

• Chair: ¹ú²ú×ÔÅÄ Vice-President & Special Representative for Gender and Diversity Yasmeen Abu-Laban and EC Member Jesús Alberto Rodríguez Alonso
• Participant Countries/Associations: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Mexico, Uruguay, the United States, the Latin America Political Science Association (ALACIP).

Asia/Oceania, 10 March 2021

• Chair: ¹ú²ú×ÔÅÄ Vice President Yuko Kasuya
• Participant Countries/Associations: Australia, Georgia, India, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, Philippines, South Korea, and Taiwan.

Europe (Group 1), 18 March 2021

• Chairs: EC Member Arkadiusz Zukowski and 2021 ¹ú²ú×ÔÅÄ World Congress Program Co-chair Hasret Dikici Bilgin
• Participant Countries/Associations: Belgium, Finland, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Turkey, and the Nordic Political Science Association.

Europe (Group 2), 23 March 2021

• Chairs: EC Members Pablo Onate and Simona Piattoni
• Participant Countries/Associations: Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Portugal, Russia, and Serbia.