I appreciate your confidence and appreciate the unanimously expressed preference that the RC leadership and the Board continue their work throughout the next year. I have heard from a majority of sitting and voting board members and  ex officio board members (advisory vote) entrusting RC14’s leadership for another year to Allison McCulloch and myself. Thank you for your confidence and we hope to prepare the grounds for the orderly transition at the next year’s WC 2021.

In the meantime, please note that at the next year’s congress will need to take decision on three issues:

1.The term on board of the RC is running out for three of our 12 members, and another, elected in 2018,l has also indicated that he would like to step down as soon as we have a replacement. This means we are looking for (at least) three new members to join us on the Board in the summer of 2021.

2.As in the past, the roles of Events Officers will be open to colleagues involved in and hosting the colloquia of the RC; and since our Diversity Monitor intends to depart from the role as soon as we have found a replacement, we are looking for candidates to fill these positions now. Note, that these roles do come with membership on the Board, so if you do know of candidates able and willing to join us, do encourage them to contact myself to discuss.

3.The WC2023 will be taking place a year after the end of the last possible (consequent) term for the sitting RC’s Chair and Vice Chair. We are therefore keen to identify potential candidates to take over these roles at the WC2021. This will allow Allison and myself to continue operating the RC jointly with the new leadership for a period and allow the new cohort to shadow our work to facilitate smooth transition in 2022.

I believe this should settle the RCs business matters for the time being. Do keep us posted on your activities/research outputs/projects and events you are organising in your home institutions, further afield, or, as is likely to be the case from now on, online. I will be delighted to repost the news to our members and will be looking forward seeing you all in Lisbon next summer, if not earlier in Belgium for the extraordinary colloquium this coming December. Again, do promote the event to your colleagues and friends!

Timofey Agarin, RC14 Chair