We said Corona doesn’t exist at the EGG until it does, and that moment has now come: we are desperate to have to cancel the 2020 edition of the EGG. Stay tuned, we’ll tell you about the next steps when we have news. But sure in the meantime you may continue using the spreadsheet in order to spread your tears…
Here is how things have played out. There are a number of relevant factors, every single one being able to kill the school. Among them are: dorm accessibility, classroom accessibility, teachers being able to attend, students being able to attend, international travel from and to Novi Sad, general sanitary regulations in Serbia and possibly other countries (people would travel through). The school could survive only if every single one of them were set to green. Since Corona-related things are rapidly moving these days, we have postponed our decision
We have worked on these factors as much as we could in order to get information in. The poll was one element of that. It turns out to be a mixed bag, some prospective students say they would attend in person, others that they won’t. One point that was made by a number of spreadsheed entries is that an important piece of the EGG takes place outside of the classroom, and that this contributes a lot to its attractivity. If Corona restrictions prevent or inhibit interaction onsite, that’s a substantial downside (and this was also mentioned by those who would miss this part if the EGG went virtual). And of course, relating to the poll, it wouldn’t make sense to have a real EGG with, say, 20 students.
So here is some information. Serbian airports are open, but this does not mean that you can fly in and out: airlines need to reestablish their connections. Land borders are or will be open without (Serbian) quarantaine, but that does not mean everybody can reach Serbian land borders. Dorms and classrooms are available (this was confirmed by local University authorities), but Corona restrictions apply: masks and gloves everywhere on campus, and classroom capacity cut by two thirds. The latter is a serious handicap: the biggest room designed for 200 people boils down to 66, and the two smaller rooms to 40. On regular attendance that won’t do. The final push that killed the school was teacher attendance: some teachers were not able to make it to Novi Sad, for a number of reasons (one factor here are travel bans issued by their home Universities).
So that’s it for now, sadly…. Hope you all stay on board for the next steps: the EGG is dead, long live the EGG!