Column: To fly or not to fly?
Should researchers travel to attend important meetings and defend dissertations – or can it be done digitally? In this column, Chair of the Academic Council Søren Dinesen Østergaard reflects on the balance between climate considerations and the need for physical presence for researchers.
Two sides of the same coin
The climate is changing, and all evidence suggests that the carbon footprint of our way of life is a substantial part of the problem. This issue must be addressed, and academic institutions bears significant responsibility in this context. This brings air travel into focus.
To fly or not to fly?
For researchers, this dilemma is a reality. I am writing this from Arlanda Airport, having just acted as an opponent at a PhD defence at the Karolinska Institute. Could I have participated virtually? Perhaps – but much is lost when communication takes place through a screen, where there are no informal conversations before and after the defence. At the reception following today’s defence, I planned a specific collaboration with one of the PhD co-supervisors whom I had not met before. This would hardly have happened through a screen.
Principles for air travel at Health
Health will soon publish new principles for air travel. These were discussed at the Academic Council meeting on December 12. This discussion prompted a productive debate about the balance between reducing carbon emissions and recognising that research is an international discipline, where in-person meetings can make a real and tangible difference.