I am a member of the EATCS Council and am running for election again. I am motivated by a deep conviction that
the publication system in computer science needs reform. As the organization behind
publication venues like ICALP, book series, and more, EATCS has the responsibility
to play an active role in driving this change.
The issue I care most about is making computer science conferences more inclusive.
In today's academic landscape, building a career in CS hinges on publishing in conferences
of high quality. However, many of these conferences (including ICALP) require
authors to physically attend and present their work for it to appear in the proceedings. This unfairly excludes
many researchers who face visa issues, lack institutional travel funding, live with disabilities,
or choose not to travel for environmental or personal reasons.
I know several brilliant colleagues who have quietly accepted that they will never
receive the recognition they deserve because of these barriers.
Conferences must take active steps to address this problem.
Within the EATCS Council, I am part of a group of members advocating for more inclusive practices.
Unfortunately, our impact has been limited so far---primarily because our group is not yet large enough.
If you believe this issue deserves attention and action, I would be grateful for your support
in the upcoming election.
Javier Esparza