IAARRC2006
Rethymnon, Crete: Q& A
Dear colleagues,
An Ancient Greece saying argues that the ‘Beneficial should go hand in hand with the pleasurable’ (‘To terpnon meta tou ofelimu’). If there is any truth in this, it certainly describes work under way for the IARRC 2006 now less than a year away. John Cauphlin and the scientific committee on the one hand are working to secure a strong, interesting, and exciting scientific program. On the other hand, we, at the Local Organising Committee are working to see that academic interests will also meet the pleasurable side of things in order to fulfil the Greek saying.
Hence, as the chair of the LOC I would like to invite you to take a glimpse in some of the things being planned for the meeting and also pick-up useful information for those who are planning to take the Cross-Atlantic or Cross-Pacific trip to Greece. I followed a Q&A format to allow easy communication.
Let me start by reminding that the conference portal is: www.iarrc2006.org. It is worth exploring the site as it has useful information about Crete & Rethymnon and offers the option for on-line registration as well.
- Where is Rethymnon and what is the place like?
Rethymnon is an old town situated in the Northern part of Crete, between Heraklion and Chania. The Local Tourist Board guide sites describes it as: “A beautiful, town with picturesque little streets with old Venetian and Turkish houses, and Venetian port and fortress. Rethymnon combines the sea with the country, and is surrounded by mountains in the south. Its location, in about the middle of the northern coast of Crete, makes it a convenient starting point from which to visit most of the island's beauties. Within thirty minutes to an hour, the traveller can visit lakes, archaeological sites, historic monasteries, charming villages, or the wild unspoiled beauty of the south, by public bus, organised tour, or car.”
Rethymnon is big enough town (or city if you wish) to stay and explore for the period of the meeting and small enough to allow casual meetings with colleagues in a relaxed Mediterranean atmosphere. There are rather interesting museums and historical sites in the town (to which all delegates will have free access to during the meeting).
- What is the program like?
The basic program format goes as follows: The conference sets off in the evening of Thursday 6 July with the Official opening ceremony in the old town of Rethymnon. During the afternoon of the same day there will be a few pre-conference workshops on advanced statistics and methodologies given by a few colleagues highly regarded in our field who have agreed to host those (Details will soon appear on the website). Friday 7 July is a full day with a social dinner in the evening. Saturday 8 July is half working day with the other half involving a choice of trips to either: Knossos, Chania, or Preveli Gorge. Sunday is full day with the awards dinner in the evening and Monday 10 is half day. Please note that before the conference (Tuesday & Wednesday) there will also be a two-day full HLM statistical workshop on for those who would like to combine a bit of holiday with advancing their statistical knowledge.
- What about accommodation?
The Hotels that appear in the website are arranged according to proximity to the town centre and to Theartemis Hotel, the focal point of the conference in the town. Although most of the conference proceedings will take place in the University Campus, Theartemis Hotel is the place where a few things will also happen (mainly in the evenings) and where transportation will take people back and forth to the University Campus.
There are two other hotels in close proximity to Theartemis: Porto Rethymnon and Bella Mare. All three are 50 meters away from the sandy beach and about 15 min. walking distance from the historic centre. If one is on a tight budget, s/he should be looking to book Bella Mare, as it combines very comfortable accommodation in affordable prices (very affordable if ones shares). We know that some colleagues will be travelling with their families and we think that partners and dependents will enjoy. Rethymnon is an ideal resort for families. Please watch the webpage for info regarding facilities for kids and family.
- What about students who may be on extra tight budget?
The University has agreed to provide us with a good number of rooms which are close to the above mentioned hotels (and the beach). As a form of sponsorship the UoC will waive 80% of their price. We will come back with specific information on this in October of how the interested parties could apply for these rooms through the IARR’s electronic messages.
- What about travelling to Crete?
If one flies from North America there are plenty of options. Previous experience tells that a flight that connects Athens, Greece with main US hubs (NY, Chicago) can cost less if it is booked some time in advance (e.g. March). Then, there is the question of how one gets to Crete from Athens. This could be either by a short flight (40mins.) to Heraklion or Chania airports or a rather longer journey by boat (9 hours overnight and 5.30 hours during the day for Pireus).
For people who may wish to combine travelling to the meeting with a visit in Europe there are several direct connections to Heraklion and Chania airports with chartered airlines between several European cities (e.g. Amsterdam, Berlin Any, Cologne, Copenhagen, Dortmund, Dresden, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt am Main,m Gratz, Hamburg Intl, Hannover, Karlsrue, Krakowe, Leipzig, London, Munster, Munich, Mulhouse, Nuremberg, Oslo, Padenbaum, Poznam, Prague, Rostock, Rotterdam, Saltzburg, Stuttgart, Vienna, Warsaw) and Heraklion or Chania airports. A good webpage for this is: www.skyscanner.net
Please note that transport between the two Airports and the Hotels in Rethymnon will be provided free of charge on Wednesday 5, Thursday 6 July and after the end of the conference.
- Is there any pre or post-conference trips being organized?
The island of Crete itself offers serene and more touristic spots. Also the popular Cycladic islands (e.g. Santorini) are only 4 hours away by boat and several other destinations near by. A few people have contacted the LOC and asked whether any pre or post-conference trips are being organized. We are in touch with the Travel agency (IBIS El Greco) that helps our operation and they will act as 'mediators' for groups of colleagues who may want to organise a joint pre- or post-conference trip in the Greek islands or Crete (see the conference website contact page). This information will appear in the website.
- What about security issues?
In our age and time (regrettably) we have come to also consider security issues. The LOC feels that Crete offers one of the most secure places in Europe. For reassurance, let me mention that Cretans do not make a good terrorist target being rather fierce creatures (for centuries they have resisted feverishly to outside invaders like pirates, the Othomans or German Nazis more recently). More seriously, the security of Crete (and Rethymnon in particular) is evident in the fact that the University of Crete Rethymnon Campus Athletic facilities were selected last year by the USA Olympic Team for pre-Olympic training.
- Can I go to any other meetings while in Greece?
It so happens that during July 2006 there are a few International Psychology meetings taking place in Greece: Stress & Anxiety in Rethymnon, www.star2006.org, the European Personality later in the month, the ICAP in Athens http://www.erasmus.gr/, and the IACCP Cross-cultural July 11-15 in Spetses island.
Hope to see you in Crete,
On behalf of the Local Organising committee,
Konstantinos (Kostas) Kafetsios
PS. Websites that worth checking out during preparations to travel to Crete: http://www.greecefoods.com/ , www.rethymnon.gr, www.culture.gr
International Conference on Personal Relationships
6 - 10 July, 2006 Rethymnon, Crete, Greece
INVITED SPEAKERS
Cigdem Kagitcibasi is professor of psychology at Koc University in Istanbul, Turkey and a member of the Turkish Academy of Sciences. She has served as Vice-President of the International Union of Psychological Science and President and Honorary Fellow of the International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology. She received the American Psychological Association and the International Association of Applied Psychology Awards for Distinguished Contribution to the International Advancement of Psychology. Among her publications is Family and Human Development Across Cultures (1996) and the Handbook of Cross-Cultural Psychology, vol. 3 (co-editor, 1997). She taught or was a visiting scholar at the University of California (Berkeley), Harvard, Columbia, and Duke Universities. Her research areas cover human development, parenting and the family in cultural context, as well as policy-relevant work to enhance human capacity and well-being. See also: http://home.ku.edu.tr/~ckagitcibasi
Prof. Philip Shaver is Distinguished Professor and Department Chair, Department of Psychology, University of California. He is the author of numerous paper and 2 of them with more than 1000 citations each (see ISI). This is a profound number for the Social Sciences. He conducts research in two areas: close relationships and emotions. In the close relationships area he has studied the application of Bowlby and Ainsworth's attachment theory to research on relationship loss and adult romantic love. Currently, he is extending this work to the study of attachment-style differences in defences or coping strategies, and in couple communication. In the field of emotions, he has proposed a prototype methodology for mapping individuals' and cultures' cognitive representations of the emotion domain and, with the help of students from other countries, is investigating everyday conceptions of emotions such as love and shame in various cultures. He is also working with Gail S. Goodman on a study of the role of attachment and parenting in children's ability to remember emotional events. Dr. Shaver is past editor of Review of Personality and Social Psychology, current associate editor of Attachment and Human Development, and a member of the editorial boards of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology and Personal Relationships. He is co-editor of two recent books: Handbook of Attachment: Theory, Research, and Clinical Applications and Measures of Political Attitudes. A list of his publications since 1987 appears on his lab group's web site: http://psychology.ucdavis.edu/labs/Shaver
Prof. Mario Mikulincer is Professor of Psychology and Chairperson of the Peleg-Bilig Center for the Study of Family Wellbeing. He is a Fellow of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology and was awarded the 2004 Psychology EMET prize for Arts, Science, & Culture. Professor Mikulincer has research interests in: attachment styles in adulthood; Terror Management Theory, personality processes in interpersonal relationships; evolutionary psychology, human learned helplessness and depression; trauma and post-traumatic processes; coping with stress; qualitative research of emotional states; mental rumination and self-focused. Professor Mikulincer is the author of numerous papers in the highest ranking International Journals of Psychology and has served as an Editor in many of those. http://www.biu.ac.il/SOC/peleg/cv/Mario%20Mikulincer.pdf
Prof. Terri L. Orbuch is a Social Psychologist, who has published several books and articles on marriage and divorce, parent-child relationships, accounts and account-making, and the effects of divorce on children. She is a Research Scientist at the Institute for Social Research at The University of Michigan and a Professor of Sociology at Oakland University. She is the Project Director of a long-term study on marriage and divorce among White Americans and African Americans (1986-2006), funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH)(http:// projects.isr.umich.edu/eym). She also is Past President of the International Association for Relationship Research (IARR) (www.iarr.org) President 1994-1995).
She recently published her fifth book with Diane Holmberg and Joseph Veroff titled, “Thrice Told Tales: Married Couples Tell Their Stories,” by Erlbaum Publishing Company. She conducts Relationship Enrichment Workshops across the USA. In Metro Detroit she also is known as “The Love Doctor” where she is heard every week on the radio (WMGC 105.1-FM) and television (Fox 2 TV).
Organisation of Pre-conference meetings
Prof. David Kenny is included in http://www.ISIHighlyCited.com
Prof. John B. Nezlek see http://jbnezl.people.wm.edu/
Prof. Ann Buysse, University of Ghent
Dr. Tricia Striano, Max Planck Institute of Evolutionary Anthropology http://www.eva.mpg.de/ontogen/
Inv i t e s y o u t o t h e
2006
International
Association
for Relationship
Research
Conference
6-10 July, 2006
Rethymnon, Crete, Greece
FIRST CALL
& CONFERENCE INFO
www.iarrc2006.or g http://www.iarr.org/conferences.html
