Cutting-edge Research and Scientific Gatherings

Quality Peer-Peer Interactions

Serious Science in a Fun Setting

Exchange of Information

A Unique Travel Experience

Including Local Students

Well Paid Native Ground Staff

We Concentrate on Working with Local Suppliers
 

Mangosteen aims to always work with the best in science - the most committed individuals, organizations and institutions and the best directed research efforts. 

We are not the size of other meeting organizing bodies, and have not been around for as long - but that does not mean that we are willing to compromise and accept anything less than the highest standards in our scientific programmes.  Although our Meetings may not themselves take place in the highest-tech environment, be assured the science under discussion will itself be world class.

It's too easy to write impressive rhetoric for the purpose of self-promotion.  In reality it is our Participants that are responsible for the strength of our programmes.  Only by adhering to rigorous standards of scientific excellence can we expect to attract some of the world's finest established and young scientists to Mangosteen Meetings.  Only then can we as an organization expect to make a valuable contribution to world science and in turn begin to realize our vision.   

Our Current Programme Focus

Propose a Future Meeting

Become the Technical Programme Designer  for a Meeting
 

With comparatively small groups, we put considerable emphasis on ensuring excellent peer to peer interactions - particularly between the established Prof. and the ambitious student, between individuals of all nationalities and cultures, and across scientific disciplines wherever interdisciplinary possibilities exist. 

Meetings are exactly that - where one individual meets another, and talks to one another for longer than it takes to exchange business cards.  A successful scientific meeting isn't about the size of the conference centre, the nice coffee breaks or a chocolate on your pillow, it's about people meeting faces old and new, and holding meaningful discussions in a relaxed environment.

A laptop and projector can be directed at any white wall, a participant can learn much from listening to presentations, but it takes more to achieve the best exchange of the most valuable ideas.  Alongside the traditional components of every successful scientific meeting, it's direct face to face communications that Mangosteen's Meetings concentrate on. 

There are both obvious and unexpected benefits to meeting new faces at scientific meetings, with it being impossible to place a value on wider communications and the resultant novel interdisciplinary and collaborative efforts.
 

Beyond the essential peace and quiet required for concentration, there is practically no limit to the number of exciting locations and venues that the developing world offers up to discuss science in the most stimulating and unexpected of environments. 

Our Existing Host Destinations

Suggest a New Host Destination

Request a Specific Destination
 

As a scientist, it's not every day that you have the chance to present your research to people will that hang on your every word -  because they aren't able to access up to date journals or good quality well-written texts.  This is very much the situation in much of the developing world. 

Through your participation in a Mangosteen Meeting you will have the opportunity to present your work to a community of individuals that will truly appreciate your presence and the efforts you have made just to be there.

Likewise, you will be in a position to help them achieve their objectives by passing some of your expertise, or offering inspiration by taking the time to explain your research or teach your discipline to ambitious poorly-resourced local students.
 

To sum it up - Mangosteen offers you the opportunity

If you are yet not well travelled or travel widely but only to the most accessible and well-known destinations, then we'll enable you to quickly and easily take a step into the unknown and visit somewhere that you might otherwise only have dreamt about - on behalf of your scientific interests and your employer.

We have existing destinations to choose from, but we place no limit on opening up future sites for Meetings - provided they fit into our criteria of being in safe and politically stable regions of the developing world, we welcome your suggestions and preferences. 

The Chance to Go Somewhere That You Never Would, on a Trip Which Might Otherwise Prove Seem Impossible or Impracticable

The Chance to Extend a Business Trip into a Fully-fledged Vacation
 

Mangosteen's Meetings are not necessarily held in major population centres, however, the typical site is within several hours travel of large cities and/or university towns.  We therefore aim to make it easy for science students from regional institutes to attend at least some of the scientific programme.

As is also the case for participating scientists from the Host Destination, we do not charge students a fee for participating in our Meetings.  The size of individual venues determine everything, but wherever possible we encourage as many interested students to attend as are available to do so.  Given the financial circumstances of many students in the developing world we may also assist them in covering their travel and daily expenses. 

We don't expect all of the students to fully comprehend the science on display - but we do believe that it's important to include them nonetheless.  Our Meetings provide rare opportunities for such ambitious and disadvantaged individuals to sit and learn alongside international experts, so if nothing else it would be a crime to exclude them. 

We always hope to encourage Participants in our Meetings to donate a little of their free time to educating our Host Destination's students -  be it through teaching fundamentals, explaining their own research, or running short tutorials or Q&A sessions.  This is by no means a requirement of Mangosteen's Meetings but just an addition to the formal programme that we hope will appeal to a number of individuals with a penchant for teaching. 

The Chance to Teach - To Take a Little Time Out to Educate Students in the Developing World
 

Mangosteen employs native Ground Staff to assist us in our activities during our Meetings and Gatherings.  Their role is primarily to act as assistants and local guides, if necessary also as interpreters - and in general to help make visitors feel at home in their new surrounds.  We aim to hire talented and committed students on a well-paid part-time basis in order that we can provide them both with an essential source of supplementary income to help ensure that they are able to complete their studies.  It also provides them with an easy way to participate in Meetings which interest them.