ANH Academy Week 2023 was our eighth consecutive annual conference and our first attempt to curate and deliver a major hybrid format. ANH2023 attracted over 1,400 unique live participants over two weeks and was by far the most complex to organise and deliver.  According to the feedback survey, participants felt that it was a success, with over 90% of respondents ranking it ‘very good’ or ‘excellent’.

Infographic from the official ANH2023 report.

However, as always, there is much to reflect on and improve. The complexity and scale of ANH2023 presented important considerations for the personnel, budget and technology needs of future Academy Weeks. It also provided fresh insights and lessons learnt around how to continually navigate the balance of trade-offs for equitable scientific collaboration and in-person interactions in the context of the climate crisis.   

As most members hopefully know, the ANH Academy offers a wide range of activities outside the conference itself. In the year ahead these include launching a new round of the successful mentoring scheme; and an exciting training phase of our curriculum enrichment support, in addition to activities within many other initiatives such as technical working groups, the Support Centre for Agriculture and Nutrition (SCANR), as well as special events, webinars and blogs hosted through the online platform for knowledge exchange.  

Plans for ANH2024 

In order to leave space for reflection and to prioritise these important community activities, the 2024 ANH Academy Week will take on a different shape. Rather than planning a full two-week hybrid event we will curate an online programme of high-quality Learning Labs. And instead of running a standalone conference, we will partner-with and support a small number of regional events. 

This approach, we hope, will retain the strong emphasis on learning and sharing, while also facilitating opportunities for interaction and engagement among members. Together, we know that these are of critical importance to the ANH community. 

We understand that for some this will be a disappointment while for others it may feel like the right decision. As always, we are extremely grateful for your support, feedback and ideas. Please do contact us at [email protected] if you have any reflections that you would like to share. 

And stay tuned for information about what will be on offer in 2024! And expect a return to the full event in 2025.

With thanks from all the ANH Academy Team!