Support for U.S. Participation in International Meetings of the International Geographical Union, Republic of Korea (2000) and South Africa (2002)

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In geography as in all other scientific disciplines, advances in research and education increasingly rely on the development of international collaborations that bring together skilled scholars and educators from many different nations. International contacts and collaborations develop through many different means, but one of the most successful has been periodic meetings of the International Geographical Union (IGU) . The IGU has functioned since 1871, conducting major congresses every four years, more focused meetings as needed, and facilitating collaborative inquiries among geographers from dozens of countries through the operation of committees, commissions, and study groups. Over recent decades, the IGU has emerged as one of the most active and successful unions participating in the International Council for Science (ICSU). Throughout its history, the U.S. has played an active role in the IGU, and American geographers have assumed critical leadership roles, especially over the last half century. To facilitate the continued involvement of U.S. scientists in IGU affairs and to facilitate the involvement of more Americans in international networks at early stages of their careers, this award will provide group-travel support for two upcoming IGU meetings. T he first meeting will be the 29th International Geographical Congress in Seoul, Republic of Korea, in August 2000. The second meeting will be an IGU Regional Conference in Durban, South Africa, in August 2002. Funds will be distributed to American geographers whose applications are evaluated using a number of criteria associated with active participation in the meeting. Larger travel grants will be given to more junior scientists in order to encourage their participation in international discussions and communications. This award will foster greater participation by U.S. scientists in the truly global fora of the International Geographical Union. As has been demonstrated in follow-up reports from Americans who have been supported with previous travel grants to IGU meetings, opportunities abound for meeting professional colleagues from many other nations, for hearing ideas and information from a broad range of different perspectives, and for participating in discussions that frequently result in successful research collaborations.