Kindling the “Geo”-Scientific Spirit amid COVID-19 Pandemic: Second International Virtual Workshop on Global Seismology and Tectonics ()

Abstract

Abstract The second International Virtual Workshop on Global Seismology and Tectonics (IVWGST, 2021) was hosted online from 20 to 30 September 2021 by the Geoscience and Technology Division, GSTD, of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-North East Institute of Science and Technology (CSIR-NEIST) in Jorhat, India. The main goal of IVWGST (2021) akin to the previous edition was to encourage the participating students who were distressed by the unusual circumstances created by the COVID-19 pandemic to continue engagement in seismology and tectonics via remote access to high-quality lectures and interaction with the international community of seismologists. The lectures presented through Microsoft Teams were delivered by 21 speakers from a variety of geoscience organizations in 10 countries and were attended by over 1750 people from 42 different countries, the majority of whom were students. This article presents a summary of a virtual scientific workshop hosted in the midst of a pandemic, reflections on the experiences gained from it, and exploration of possible improvements for conducting online scientific meetings. We hope this summary of our experience will contribute to larger global impact through including a broader international audience and making such events more diverse, equitable, and inclusive.