Dear Colleagues,
At a special meeting of the GPSG Executive Committee last week, Andrew and I announced our intention to step down from our role as Convenors of the Greek Politics Specialist Group, and also from the Executive Committee.
The decision wasn’t easy, as the GPSG has been such a central part of our work over the last thirteen years. However, we feel that a change of leadership and a renewal of the Executive Committee are both well overdue and will enable the Group to continue growing and maximising its reach and impact.
Since 2004, what started as a small country-specific specialist group of the Political Studies Association has grown to become the leading academic network of Greek politics experts in the world; a facilitator of informed dialogue, scholarship and expert advice; an incubator of innovative schemes, publications and practices; and a hub for the support of younger researchers and the discipline as a whole.
With almost 400 members and affiliates, a varied portfolio of publications and outputs, important collaborations with leading NGOs, universities, government departments and other learned societies and specialist groups, continuous presence at the annual PSA conference, and high visibility in the international news media, the GPSG is in robust health.
At the same time, recent changes to the PSA’s funding formula and rules mean that the new Convenors and Executive Committee will depend on the continuing moral, practical and financial support of all our members, friends and affiliates to maintain and expand our work.
As part of the reshuffle and renewal of the Executive Committee, we are now seeking expressions of interest for one of the open/new Officer posts (see Call below). The deadline for that is the end of March, with a view to new members joining the EC through the end of April. The new Executive Committee will then appoint the new Convenors in early May. We envisage that this process will be complete and the new Convenors will formally be in place by the end of May.
Andrew and I will work with our EC colleagues to ensure a smooth transition, as this is the first such process in the Group’s history, and it goes without saying that we will continue to support the Group in multiple ways, beyond May.
Setting up and leading the GPSG has been a privilege and an immensely rewarding experience. We would like to extend our deep gratitude to our friends at the Executive Committee for their unwavering support and hard work throughout these years, and also to all our members, interns, funders, affiliates, friends, collaborators, contributors and colleagues who have helped take the Group where it is today.
Best wishes,
Roman Gerodimos
Andrew Liaropoulos
Call for Expressions of Interest – GPSG Executive Committee Officers
The Greek Politics Specialist Group (GPSG) invites expressions of interest for up to three open/new posts of its Executive Committee (EC). The Executive Committee is the primary decision-making body of the GPSG. Through its Officers, the Executive Committee, plans and implements the Group’s strategy, action plan, funding applications, collaborations and activities; manages the day-to-day budget and operations of the Group; maintains accurate records of the Group’s meetings, members and activities; organises, launches and manages events, panels, roundtables, competitions, contests; edits the Group’s publications, such as the Working Paper Series; and appoints the new members to its Executive and Advisory Committees, including the Convenors.
The GPSG is committed to a policy of equality and diversity and all applications will be considered purely on the basis of their merit and the individual’s ‘fit’ to the role. However, we particularly welcome applications from women and colleagues who are based at UK universities as these two groups are currently under-represented.
Expressions of interest should comprise a full CV and a short cover note explaining why the applicant is interested in becoming a member of the GPSG Executive Committee and what they feel they could bring to the role. They should be submitted to our Membership & Outreach Officer Dr Vasiliki Tsagkroni at [email protected] by 23.59 on Friday, 31 March 2017. Late applications will not be considered. Applicants should be (or have become, before the deadline) full members of the GPSG. Affiliate members and full members who have not renewed their membership can do so before the deadline. If you are unsure as to your membership status, please email Vasiliki at [email protected]
Colleagues who are interested in joining the EC are encouraged to have informal discussions with one or more of the current Convenors and EC officers. As per our Constitution, all expressions of interest will be considered by the Executive Committee, which will shortlist candidates. If, at the end of the process, there are more shortlisted candidates than there are places, then an election will be held amongst GPSG members. Only full (paid-up) members will be able to participate in that process.
