How To Create An Innovative Panel

An Invitation to Create an Innovative Panel for the ISA 2008 Meeting
Andrea K. Gerlak, Director of Academic Development
May 2007 Newsletter

In an effort to stimulate creativity and innovation, ISA encourages members to experiment with new panel formats for the upcoming ISA 2008 meeting in San Francisco. These may include, but are not limited to, the following possibilities:

• a debate format or a "town hall" meeting style
• short panel presentations and audience discussions about a particularly timely or controversial topic with a moderator who helps facilitate discussion
• a panel where you invite experts from outside academia to join a scholar in discussion of a particular topic or theme
• use internet technology to broadcast your panel session to a broader audience
• design a "trial balloon" session where panelists briefly present the skeleton of a research topic and the audience and/or other panelists help shape or better define the project

At the 2007 ISA meeting in Chicago, there were two experimental panel formats that attracted high praise. First, the Active Learning in International Affairs (ALIAS) section organized an interactive session near the poster room to highlight novel teaching simulations and strategies. Second, the International Political Economy (IPE) section hosted a forum designed to facilitate dialogue around Alternative Globalizations. We encourage individuals and ISA sections to build off of these initial experiments.

With the June 1st deadline for submitting paper/panel submissions for the 2008 meeting fast approaching, we encourage you to think “outside the box” and craft a new format panel for the upcoming meeting. These panels will occur in addition to the regular allocation of traditional ISA panels and they will be accepted on a first-come basis. Please email (agerlak@u.arizona.edu) me your suggestions and ideas and I can help facilitate the planning and organization.