FABI meetings return to the auditorium 2020-11-17
FABI’s Monday Morning Meeting returned to the auditorium on 16 November after an eight month break, using a newly-installed webcam to host a “hybrid meeting” on the usual Zoom platform. Sixteen FABIans attended the meeting in-person where Prof. Juan Vorster from the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences at UP presented on his work as part of the South African Herbicide Resistance Initiative (SARHI). The meetings have, for the duration of the lockdown, been hosted online from the FABI boardroom, but with the lockdown restrictions being eased more people are allowed in rooms and laboratories. The auditorium allows for more space than the boardroom, but its audio-visual system required an upgrade to allow fully hybrid meetings. The auditorium has also had a fresh-air circulation system upgraded to increase airflow while all attendees are suitably socially-distanced in compliance with strict COVID-19 regulations. The meeting went well, barring a technical hiccup that cropped-up midway; it is all part of learning to manage this new system and way of interaction. The meeting was attended by 154 people online and 16 people in the room. Professor Slippers encouraged FABIans to attend MMM and Thursday Morning Seminars in person, adhering to safety regulations and considering personal health concerns.