Author: Fiona Dorrington

On 25 May 2021, the IOP hosted a workshop with European Member Societies, sponsored by the European Physical Society (EPS) on creating and developing a code of conduct. The workshop was attended by 23 delegates from across 19 countries. It was chaired by Rachel Youngman, IOP Deputy Chief Executive and the outgoing President of EPS, Petra Rudolph, with closing remarks from the incoming President, Luc Bergé.  

The scope of the workshop was for EPS member societies to leave with an action plan to create and implement a code of conduct that ensures the safe participation of all meetings, conference and event attendees. The aim is to work towards an inclusive and equitable culture in STEM across Europe, where all physicists can access and participate in physics, with their safety and protections ensured.  
 
The IOP will be sharing the conference report with attendees in the near future, which will include recommendations for delegates from each of the presentations and support pack of templates and good-practice examples. The IOP will be in attendance at the 2022 EPS council meeting, as a follow-up meeting to discuss progress, share experiences and address challenges as an international community.
 
The case for professional conduct was made by UKRI, using the evidence base and findings through their research. Examples of code of conducts in use followed from IOP, EPS and EPS Equal Opportunities Committee, sharing learnings from the creation and revisions that have been made and included lessons learned. A panel discussion followed, prompting discussion from issues raised, exploring some challenges in greater detail, especially looking at the role of positive action vs positive discrimination.

CERN presented the later session, sharing their experience of developing a harassment investigating framework, and provided practical tips and advice for the creation of one. Delegates then divided into two streams, one focusing on the creation of a code of conduct, with the latter focusing on utilising and strengthening. Delegates then returned to the main room, where feedback and final reflections were shared.