Unfortunately, I have to announce that we have postponed the 32nd edition of ESSLLI, planned for 2020 in Utrecht, to 2-13 August 2021. It was very difficult for the ESSLLI Standing Committee, the Programme Committee, and the Organising Committee to take this decision, but the circumstances around the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic force us to.

Our considerations leading to this decision are:

• The health and well-being of the ESSLLI participants is our top priority.
• We want to maximize the opportunities for students, lecturers, and others to participate in ESSLLI.
• It is at this point impossible to predict how the situation with regard to the coronavirus (COVID-19) will develop.
  • In the Netherlands, the Dutch government made the measures with regard to the corona virus disease stricter on March 23, and extended the duration of some measures to the beginning of June.
  • Almost all countries are struggling with the corona virus disease, though each is in a different phase, and the restrictions are in many countries even tougher than in the Netherlands.
• We want to take away the uncertainty among the students, lecturers, workshop organisers and workshop participants and create clarity as soon as possible.
• Many other events and normal university activities (teaching, exams) are being postponed because of the pandemic and might very well conflict with ESSLLI.

We have invited all lecturers and workshop organisers to hold their (possibly updated) lectures and workshops in 2021 instead of 2020.  

We do not consider the full virtual variant of ESSLLI as a viable possibility because face-to-face presence is essential for teaching, networking, exchanging of ideas, and informal gathering in the social events at ESSLLI.

We are grateful to the organising committee and the programme committee of the 33rd ESSLLI which was originally planned for 2021 (Galway, Ireland) for their flexibility to shift the 33rd ESSLLI to 2022.

I am sorry to send you such a message. We are living in a difficult period which affects almost all aspects of everyday life, full of uncertainties for its evolution.

Registration for ESSLLI2002 is now closed. All who already registered have been contacted personally to arrange reimbursement of fees paid.

Stay healthy and strong! I look forward to welcoming you at the 32nd ESSLLI in Utrecht in 2021!

Jan Odijk, Chair ESSLLI2020 Organising Committee
On behalf of the ESSLLI2020 Standing Committee, Programme Committee and Organising Committee.