The Structure of the ASI Workshop

The workshop will involve plenary and cross cut working group sessions meeting at regular intervals throughout the week. Over the course of the week the ASI meeting will develop as follows:

Day 1

·        Opening – Welcome, the scientific goals of the workshop and an overview of the workshop’s structure (Plenary)

·        Keynote speech – Grand synthesis of the workshop topic (Plenary)

·        Cross cut groups (A-B-C) meet separately to identify topics and issues that will define each group’s agenda. Participants will be pre-assigned to a specific cross cut group by the cross cut group chairs and rapporteurs in consultation with the SAC.

·        Presentation of each cross cut group agenda to all workshop participants (Plenary).

Day 2 and Day 3

·        The cross cut groups meet in 3 parallel sessions:  A//B; B//C; A//C over these 2 days. When a specific group is not involved in a scheduled session, its members are invited to take part in the either (or both) of the other cross cut sessions as involved observers.

Day 4

·        Consolidation and writing – Each group meets separately to discuss the deliberations and conclusions so that the rapporteurs can begin the task of writing the first cut of the group chapter, due before the last day of the meeting.

Day 5

·        Distribution of draft chapters – The three cross cut group draft chapters are distributed to all participants. After a reading period, all participants meet in plenary to formulate questions/comments.

·        Discussion of group results – Each rapporteur summarizes the highlights, controversies, and open problems of his/her group (Plenary) and receives comments from other participants.

·        Cross cut groups meet separately to discuss and decide which comments and issues raised during the plenary discussion should be included in their revised chapter.

·        Plenary wrap-up session, conclusions.