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Dear participant of the 10th anniversary IAPSS AC and GA!
As the date of the conference draws closer, we are making the final preparations here in Amsterdam. Everyone is really excited here and we hope you are looking forward to the event as much as we are!
This e-mail contains some practical information for your stay here. Please consider the information below carefully and do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.
Travel to Amsterdam
When you arrive at Amsterdam Schiphol airport, you may take a train to Amsterdam Central Station. It is well indicated and you should have no trouble finding the right train to the city centre. There are many officials there happy to point you in the right direction. As soon as you have arrived at Central Station, just head for the exit near platform 2a, where you will find our representatives (with a big white Machiavelli-flag). Every whole hour between 12:00 and 17:00, (so at 12:00, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00, 16:00 and 17:00) a group will be brought to the hostels. If you prefer a guide to the right hostel, you can simply join any group that is waiting.
Programme
The updated and definite programme (while still subject to minor changes) can be found on the conference website: www.iapss.org/acga2007. You will be asked to subscribe to workshops for the rest of the week after the conference opening on Monday.
International drinking party
Please keep in mind that there will be an international drinking party on the day of arrival. At this event, which has become an IAPSS tradition, every delegation will share their national drink with the other guests. At this event everyone will be able to get a taste of many different cultures. Would you please be so kind to bring a bottle (or more) of a liqour or drink that is special for your country?
Hostel
For the accommodation, we have selected two different hostels, both located in the city centre and at walking distances to the conference locations. Please find information about both of them here: http://www.hostel-meetingpoint.nl/index2.htm and http://www.tourist-inn.nl/. The street addresses of the hostels are:
Meetingpoint youth hostel: Warmoesstraat 14, 1012 JD Amsterdam
Budget Hotel Tourist-Inn, Spuistraat 52, 1012 TV Amsterdam
It will not be necessary to bring sleeping bags for the hostel, sheets are provided.
Breakfast will be included in the package and can be enjoyed in the hostels. All participants will be appointed beforehand to a bed in one of these hostels. Please find attached the list to this email. Beds have been appointed first at gender, then at delegation. This means we have tried to create only male or female rooms, keeping into account to put the same delegation members together. It will be possible to discuss the places after arrival, when we will do our best to accommodate according to your preferences. No curfews apply in the hostels, for an extra key you pay a € 5,00 deposit.
You are invited to have the best of times in Amsterdam and enjoy a good party. Nevertheless, everyone is kindly requested to behave in a representative and responsible way in the hostel where you are a guest, in a manner fitting to world class political science students. Any individual misbehaving will be held accountable for their own behaviour and its consequences.
Meals
Breakfast can be had at the hostels, between 7:00 and 10:00.
Lunches will be provided at the university
Gala
One of the highlights of the event will be the prestigious 10th anniversary gala on Thursday evening, with. The location is one of the prime venues in Amsterdam, the Odeon theatre in the heart of the city. You may find some general information on their website here: http://www.odeontheater.nl/. The evening will consist of a formal and a festive part. There will be speeches by all key IAPSS people, surprises, special guests, and much more. Be sure not to miss this historic IAPSS event! Dresscode: black or white tie.
Payment
May we kindly request you to transfer the money without delay, if you have not done so already? The payment details which you might need for making the transfer can be found below. Please be aware that we cannot guarantee accommodation if you have not arranged the payment with us in time.
Public transport
While it easy to get around in Amsterdam by foot, the public transport runs both frequently and troughout the city. You will receive a map of the public transport network upon arrival to aid your travels in Amsterdam. We advise you to purchase a ticket for unlimited transport for 96 hours. This is the cheapest option at € 16,50. They can be purchased at GVB Tickets & Info service outlets (at all major stations) and at VVV tourist offices.
More information about the public transport can be found here: http://www.gvb.nl/english/default.asp
Taxi's can be flagged on the street, or ordered beforehand at this phonenumber: +3120 777 7777.
Currency
The local currency in Amsterdam is the Euro. It can easily be exchanged at Schiphol airport and at many places throughout the city. You are advised to bring both some cash money as well as a credit or debit card as a backup.
Emergencies
The national emergency number in The Netherlands is 112. In life-risking situations or serious trouble, please call this number. For less urgent emergencies, you can contact the representative of Machiavelli, many of whom will always be present at the events. Please refer to the list of telephone numbers given upon arrival for many other useful numbers.
Weather conditions
During the conference we will get to enjoy springtime in Amsterdam. We are expecting nice weather, but be prepared to bring some rain-proof clothes. For a closer look at the local weather forecast, please have a look here: http://weather.cnn.com/weather/forecast.jsp?locCode=EHAM.
We are looking forward to meeting you in Amsterdam!
Organizing committee AC/GA 2007
Participants
Like every year, the 2007 edition of the Annual Conference & General Assembly will be visited by approximately hundred member of the IAPSS community. In addition, some fifty Dutch political science students will take part in the AC as well as special guests who have been invited by the IAPSS board to celebrate the ten year anniversary.
Getting to Amsterdam: travel and visa
We kindly advise you to make appropriate travel and visa arrangements.
Amsterdam is easy to reach. Schiphol airport is located 15 minutes by train to Amsterdam Central Station and is being serviced by almost all national airlines and low-cost airlines like SkyEurope, EasyJet, AirBerlin and Transavia. Ryanair offers flights to Eindhoven, an airport located in the mid-south of the country, some 2 hours away from Amsterdam by train.
Alternatively, you could travel to Amsterdam by train or bus.
International trains, running from Paris, Bruxelles, Berlin and Munich, offer direct connections to Amsterdam Central Station. Of course you can use regional services as well. For tickets, please check the website of Dutch Rail (www.nsinternationaal.nl), die Bahn (www.bahn.de) or French SNCF (www.voyages-sncf.fr). Of course, you can travel by bus too.
Eurolines (www.eurolines.com) offers direct services to Amsterdam from allover Europe.
Please note that you will be responsible for your own travel documents.
Therefore, please make sure you have all visa you need. Of course, we will be happy to assist you if needed. Detailed information on visa can be found on the website of the Dutch ministry of Foreign Affais (www.minbuza.nl/en).
Payment deadline
The payment of the participation fee will have to be done before 25th of April. We would like to ask you to arrange payment by bank transfer. If that is not possible, please contact us as soon as possible, to make another arrangement.
Accomodation
All of you will be accomodated in one of the two youth hostels we have selected. Both are located in the city centre of amsterdam, on walking distance from all the week’s venues. Breakfast is included in the package and will be offered in the hostels. There is no curfew in either of the hostels and all amenities are nearby. You can find pictures of the rooms on our website.
Programme
The Annual Conference will take place from Monday to Wednesday morning. It will be followed by the General Assembly on Wednesday afternoon, Thursday and Friday afternoon. Almost all evenings (except on Tuesday) will be packed with social events, ranging from a boat tour by former Amsterdam mayor Ed van Thijn to the IAPSS 10th anniversary Gala. A detailed version of the programme can be found on-line. We would like to ask you to check the website regularly, as you will have to choose between several workshops on each of the three days. Through the website we will provide you with detailed information about the workshops, to make sure you can make a real choice. On the first day of the AC you will be enabled to register for the workshops. As you will understand, the number of participants who can take part in each workshop is limited (mostly to 25 persons). However, in total there will be enough places to accommodate all participants.
Literature
On the website, links to literature will be placed in order to enable you to prepare yourself for the AC. Should you have any more suggestions, please feel free to contact us.
Gala
As you have read before, the 10th anniversary of IAPSS will not pass unnoticed. On Thursday 17, we will celebrate this anniversary with a special Gala. There will be an official part, with speeches and an overview of the first 10 years of IAPSS. Afterwards, a party will start that will be remembered throughout the IAPSS community for the coming decade. The Gala is located at Odeon, which will offer us a true glance of glamour. We invite you to dress and make up, to party in style!
We hope to have provided you with sufficient information. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us by mail. We look forward to meeting you in Amsterdam next month!
Best regards,
The Organizing Committee AC/GA 2007 Amsterdam
Thank you for your patience and understanding.
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Dear IAPSS community,
Machiavelli, the political science student association of the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, is proud to invite you to the
10th Annual IAPSS Conference & General Assembly at
the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, May 14th - 18th 2007
The event will span an action-packed week of academic challenges, a rich cultural and social programme and the two-day General Assembly itself. Following the success of last year's AC/GA, we are taking every care to assure a worthy event.
Please have a look at all the information on this website. You will find a detailed description of the theme, information about the application procedure, and the day-to-day programme. Updates will follow as soon as more information becomes available.
In the meantime, please don't hesitate to contact the organizing committee in the case of any urgent questions, on the following e-mail address: internationaal@studieverenigingmachiavelli.nl.
Best regards on behalf of Committee International and the board of Machiavelli,
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Sander van Haperen International Affairs Student Association Machiavelli Contact at: Sander van Haperen internationaal@studieverenigingmachiavelli.nl Address: Studievereniging Machiavelli OZ. Achterburgwal 237 1012 DL Amsterdam The Netherlands |
We are proud to be sponsored by:
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