The HASTAC Scholars Welcome Event on February 1st, 2024, was an engaging and informative session introducing the new cohort to HASTAC and the program’s offerings and opportunities for collaboration and growth. The event was led by Program Co-Directors Coline Chevrin and Parisa Setayesh, who provided an overview of HASTAC’s vision and the various activities scholars can participate in, such as Digital Fridays, Collaborative Book Reviews, Scholar Spotlights, and the forthcoming Dialogues project.
It is exciting to see this cohort of HASTAC Scholars bring together young academics from all over the world, the scholars present in the welcome meeting pinned where they were from or where they were dialing in from on the map above.
The scholars also shared their diverse research interests, and the image above really is a testament to the program’s interdisciplinary reach. Topics span across humanities archives, linguistics, digital activism, and climate change, reflecting a blend of social sciences, humanities, and STEM fields. These topics indicate a focus on inclusivity and social justice, and delving into emerging technologies suggests a forward-looking approach to scholarship. This range illustrates a rich tapestry of inquiry, highlighting the program’s commitment to academic diversity and innovation.
The co-directors introduced the scholars to the HASTAC website and how to engage with the platform through blogging, project presentations, and participation in digital forums. They also emphasized the importance of community building, networking, and interdisciplinary collaboration within the HASTAC Scholars program. The program is here to convene a platform to encourage their engagement with one another and participation in programs and activities; that is what makes HASTAC so dynamic and open to innovation.
The event set a collaborative tone for the upcoming year, inviting scholars to contribute their unique perspectives and expertise to the HASTAC community. It was a promising start to a year of innovative exploration at the intersection of technology, arts, humanities, and sciences.