Invitation to lush tropical nature: A note from Wolfgang Goede

Wolfgang Goede is former Honorary Secretary of the European Union of Science Journalists' Associations (EUSJA). He has attended all but one of the World Conferences of Science Journalists and is based in Medellín.

The 12th World Conference of Science Journalists in Medellín, Colombia, is approaching very fast now. Folks around the globe are very excited about it, and so am I. What a great opportunity to meet friends and colleagues again after an almost four years break! We will sit down, exchange and attend insightful sessions about the state of our profession. Which topics are emerging? What’s new? How do we face new challenges? 

And all this amidst lush tropical nature, in Medellín’s famous Botanical Garden – outdoors. This will be the first World Conference I will attend in 25 years that won’t roll out within the concrete and glass environment of modern conference centers. What a unique novum!

In the past 25 years I’ve had the privilege to attend all world conferences minus the very first one in Tokyo. I tell you each of them has been an extraordinary experience, not only in terms of updating yourself in the job, meeting great people and making friends, but also to dive into different cultures and regions of the world which one most likely would not have otherwise traveled to. And I tell you every world conference has beautifully enlarged my horizon and has made me understand the world so much better. This is, it strikes me, a prerequisite to become a better journalist.

So this time around it’s the Global South, in Colombia, at one of its many jewels: Medellín. The city of eternal spring, as it’s called, is one of the most progressive and exciting metropolitan areas in the Americas. I’ve been familiar with it for decades and been living permanently in the Medellín area since 2020. I assure you it’s one of the most thrilling places on earth. At this point, I won’t reveal more details and close with: Come and see for yourself – you won’t regret it. So much I can promise!