School conference recognises achievements of research students On August 30th and September 1st 2021, we hosted our first ever Summer Student Conference where the achievements of the hard-working students conducting research in our department were celebrated. Students gave 10 minute research talks which were followed by 5 minutes for audience questions and discussion. Our students covered a wide variety research areas including using AI in the chemical sciences, astrochemistry & comparing the utility of manual vs automated column chromatography in the learning environment. All speakers delivered high quality and engaging talks on their varied research projects. Having the opportunity to discuss their research in a conference setting is vital skill building the students will be able to carry with them to their final year projects and beyond. They have gained experience in telling the story of a research project from conception to results, public speaking, delivering research presentations and handling audience questions. Here’s what a couple of the students who participated in the conference said: As someone with anxiety, the extra practice gained by speaking at the Summer Conference was invaluable for future presentations and for interviews. Sarah Stewart, 4th Year UG Student Through my participation in group meetings and the preparation for the summer student conference I now have a much clearer idea of how academic presentations are supposed to look. Annika Wegner-Repke, 4th Year UG Student Thank you and congratulations to all students for their informative presentations. We are extremely glad that their brilliance got a chance to shine at this conference! This article was published on 2024-03-18
