IBEI’s adaptation during coronavirus lockdown
Since the beginning of the health alert by COVID-19 in mid-March 2020, IBEI has been doing an effort to adapt all its face-to-face activities (research, master programmes and all academic activities) into an online format.
IBEI community have not stopped during the quarantine. During this time, as a result of a collaborative and collective effort, all IBEI researchers, faculty, staff and students have been able to continue working and learning from home.
In March IBEI launched the #IBEIatHome initiative, aimed to give visibility to all this effort.
Action Protocol & Statement from the Director
Facing the activation of the health alert by COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2), IBEI created an action protocol, posted general recommendations and enabled a specific email for queries
Besides, IBEI’s Director Jacint Jordana made a statement for all IBEI community, in order to reassure IBEI’s efforts and commitment given the situation.
Distance learning
Classroom teaching at IBEI was suspended from Friday 13 March. IBEI moved all teaching across onto an online synchronous platform through the Virtual Campus (with live interaction with the faculty and the rest of the class) which implied a certain training to all faculty and students, in order to adapt the new situation.
All teachers, staff and students have continued to work relatively normally, while adjusting to and experimenting with the new digital environment. Their dedication and involvement have been admirable and indicative of IBEI’s commitment to complete of the master's programmes with all the guarantees of quality, despite all the restrictions we are experiencing.
At the end of the semester all students have been grateful and satisfied with the results.
Academic Office and all masters’ programmes coordinators have been available remotely to make sure everything run as smoothly as possible.
Research initiatives
Since March, IBEI have hosted more than 20 webinars which a huge participation from people around the world:
- All IBEI Research Seminars have been done online. A total of 5 papers were presented. You can watch all recorded seminars and webinars here
- New Research on Trade Policy Webinar Series, in the framework of the Observatori de Política Exterior Europea (European Foreign Policy Observatory), 3 papers were presented, addressing various aspects of trade policy. THIS SERIES WILL CONTINUE IN THE FALL 2020.
- IBEI researchers have been producing several posts & articles about COVID-19
- GLOBE webinars participated by IBEI researchers, have included discussion around new books. THIS SERIES WILL CONTINUE IN THE FALL 2020.
- Confronting the Climate Crisis: Prospects for the 2021 UN Climate Summit in Glasgow. A contribution from Metropolitan Governments, coorganized with AMB (video available soon at IBEI's YouTube channel)
- Europe and China in the times of COVID-19, in collaboration with US Consulate General Barcelona
- A Dialogue on COVID-19 and Inequality with Joan Benach and Branko Milanovic
Information centre COVID-19
Official information on IBEI coronavirus response regarding all the activities & events has been updated daily
Admissions, information for applicants 2020-21
Information and webinars for prospective students have been available on IBEI’s website in order to give solve doubts on how COVID-19 will affect the admissions process and/or the next academic year.
- Webinars for each master's programme were hosted and recorded, in order to have them available at applicants’ convenience
- FAQ around COVID-19 situation, in order to reassure prospective students that the IBEI Admissions team was still available while working remotely and to find some of the answers to the most frequent questions derived from the COVID-19 situation
- Virtual meetings could be arranged at prospective students’ convenience, with Admissions Team or with one of IBEI Masters' Coordinators.