What do scholars of fields beyond medicine and virology have to offer to the ongoing crisis born of the COVID-19 pandemic? This question acts as the foundation for this publication, a collaborative effort between fellows at the Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies (HCAS). The publication is now available online on the HCAS website.
15 HCAS fellows contributed to this publication, each drawing on their respective fields and with a distinct point of view on the ongoing coronavirus crisis and its effects on the world. Be it the stranded seafarers far away from home, the many cancelled sports events or the bleak future prospects for recent graduates, this multidisciplinary pamphlet encourages an in-depth discussion on the many effects of the pandemic on the world.
Prior to this publication, there was the idea of a symposium, a small hybrid conference among HCAS fellows to be held in June when the restrictions on social gatherings were eased. Come June 12th, a number of fellows gathered in the common room of the Collegium to analyze the pandemic’s overwhelming presence and impact. Those who could not be present physically participated via Zoom.
This publication, spearheaded by Prof. Molly Andrews, conveys to readers the insights of the symposium and provides a sort of memento for the unusual academic term.