JEMS 2020 Virtual Conference

Welcome

Like in many other areas of public life, the Corona pandemic affected the plans for JEMS 2020. Regulations and a responsibility for participants’ health prevented an onsite meeting as originally planned, so the symposia were held fully virtual while keeping the December dates.

Contracts for the Lisbon Congress Center were re-negotiated in order to minimise the financial burden. The scientific programme was preserved, with plenary and semi-plenary sessions, a special technical session and sixteen-plus specialised symposia including biomagnetism, MRAM and spintronics.

• List of symposia
• Conference schedule
• Keynote speakers

JEMS 2020 refers to the Joint European Magnetic Symposia, a recurring gathering that brings together the European magnetism community for scientific exchange, discussion, and collaboration. The 2020 edition was planned for Lisbon, Portugal in December, spanning several days of talks, posters, and informal forums. This homepage presents the event as a virtual conference, reflecting the way the meeting format was adapted so that researchers could still participate despite the pandemic and associated travel restrictions.

The programme of a magnetic symposium traditionally covers a broad range of topics in magnetism, from fundamental spin physics and magnetic materials to applied devices, imaging, and measurement techniques. Sessions are usually organised around invited and contributed presentations, allowing both established researchers and early-career scientists to share recent results. The online format used for 2020 retained the familiar rhythm of scheduled talks, poster sessions, and discussion periods, so that participants could follow the scientific programme remotely and still pose questions.

Registration for the 2020 edition was structured around two windows, an early bird period and a regular period, each with its own deadline and fee level. Reduced rates were offered for students and for retired participants, reflecting an effort to keep the meeting accessible to younger researchers and to colleagues whose institutional funding had been affected by the wider economic circumstances of the year. The registration page also explained what documentation participants needed to provide to qualify for these categories.

Beyond the scientific sessions, the site carried practical information about the running of the conference, including important dates for the organisers to track. Proceedings submissions were extended to allow more time for authors to prepare their contributions under difficult conditions. A cancellation policy offered a partial refund to those who could no longer attend, and the overall schedule was arranged so that the online environment could comfortably host the talks, posters, and social interaction that characterise the symposia.

Organising a large international meeting during an uncertain year required careful decisions about format, contracts, and infrastructure. The pages describe how venue arrangements, facilities, and service providers were negotiated in order to reduce the financial burden on participants and on the organising consortium. Transfers between onsite and online delivery were planned in advance, so that the scientific content of the conference could be preserved regardless of how public health regulations evolved in the months leading up to December.

The virtual setting was presented not simply as a necessity but as an opportunity. Online delivery can open a conference to audiences who would never have travelled to the host city, including colleagues at institutions without travel budgets. It also allows sessions to be recorded and revisited, giving contributors and attendees an extended scientific discussion beyond the live programme. Forum-style interaction, direct questioning of presenters, and dedicated poster hours were built into the schedule to reproduce the intimacy of a physical meeting.

The homepage of the conference site is designed to be welcoming and easy to navigate, with a warm accent colour, clear separation of sections, and prominent calls to action for registration and abstract submission. Pages are grouped by topic, covering the organisation and committees, the scientific programme and schedule, the submission of abstracts and proceedings, speakers and awards, sponsorship, and contact details for the organisers. Aimed at attendees who are already familiar with the field, the site concentrates on the information needed to take part.

The Joint European Magnetic Symposia are supported by a network of national and regional associations and by a series of sponsors who contribute to the meeting through grants, prizes, and practical assistance. Committees oversee the scientific programme, the organisation of sessions, and the awarding of recognition to outstanding contributions, including young scientist awards. The organisation also maintains communication channels for the wider magnetism community, keeping researchers informed about future editions, travel fellowships, and other events across the calendar year.

Whoever visits the JEMS 2020 homepage will find a conference that tried hard to honour its traditions while adapting to new circumstances. The tone is apologetic in places but optimistic overall, emphasising the sense of community, the quality of the science, and the value of participation. Although the meeting could not be held in Lisbon as originally planned, the essential character of a European magnetic symposium was preserved: shared results, vigorous discussion, and the encouragement of young scientists entering a field that continues to evolve rapidly.

Organisation and contact

The congress organiser was Abreu Events – Lisbon Office, the full-service congress organiser for the event. General information, including registration, was handled by that team, while questions on the scientific side were addressed by INESC MN Microsystems and Nanotechnologies.

The committees page lists the Program, Organization, Publication and advisory committees that shaped the meeting, and the forum carried 322 discussion topics across the symposia, FAQ and career sections.

• Committees
• Grants and awards
• Sponsors
• Abstracts and proceedings
• Forum