Terrible piece in Science, "Visa bureaucracy makes scientific conferences inaccessible for too many researchers"
Read:
https://www.science.org/content/article/visa-bureaucracy-makes-scientific-conferences-inaccessible-many-researchers
Two excerpts:
"I [a Norwegian researcher born in Iran] had been hoping to present my work at an upcoming international conference, in the country that hosts nearly all major global scientific meetings [ 🤔 ]. I had spent the past year working feverishly to obtain a visa. The process had been so drawn out that I had already missed two other conferences there."
"Many scholars born in ostracized countries face these drawn-out, oftentimes years-spanning processes when we need to travel. The obstacles take a toll on our professional development, our future opportunities, and our mental health. Conference organizers have a responsibility to address this. To truly foster inclusivity, meetings must be hosted in more open countries."
