Posted on by Sinenhlanhla Sikhosana

Conferencing Toolkit for Postgrads

Are you ready to conquer your fears?

Covid-19 robbed me of my most favourite part of postgrad life: Conferencing. The lockdown regulations came with strict restrictions on all local and international travel; this meant that for the first time in a very long time, I was not going to attend any local or international conference. All I could do is reminisce of the good all times when I was booked into fancy hotels and fed all in the name of conferencing! Jokes aside, attending conferences has been one of the key aspects that shaped my career outlook and my perception of academia on a global scale. 

At my first conference, it felt like I was thrown in the deep end and left to drown. It was intimidating! But with the right mindset and preparations, I am now a conference wizard (yes I’m blowing my own horn). In this blog, I will share useful tips on how to gain the most from attending conferences.

PRE-TRAVEL PREPARATIONS

Step 0 of the pre-travel preparations is choosing a conference that is relevant to your field, and that will positively impact your research. To gain maximum impact from the conference, presenting your research findings is highly recommended. The conference organisers select presenters based on an abstract submitted during registration, so the abstract has to standout if one wishes to present. These are the key ingredients for a brilliant abstract: Give motivation on why your research is relevant to the field. Highlight the methodologies you used. Emphasise the results you obtained. Then, outline what you have concluded from your study.

If you have a poster presentation, it is best to print your poster before travelling. For oral presentations, one can always neaten up the presentation during the conference. However, knowing your audience in advance will help you structure your presentation so that it speaks to the audience (e.g. if the audience is well informed about your topic then you won’t spend a lot of time on the introduction). Finally, prepare a two-minute elevator pitch which is a summary that highlights the importance of your research; this comes in handy for the brief coffee break encounters.

Many conferences offer travelling or registration funding for students, be sure to apply early. Once you are registered, keep check of the list of attendees and invited speakers. Knowing your attendees is advantageous because you can have a strategy for your networking engagements and you might find a student from your country or is also attending and hence might be a potential conference buddy. Brief research on the invited speakers will help with planning which sessions to attend if the conference has plenary sessions and who to approach during the breaks.

LOGISTICS

Sharing basic logistic information might sound tedious for frequent travellers, but my first international conference was my first international travel experience, and there are a few things I wish I knew before boarding the plane. Different international border gates require various documents upon arrival, ensure that all these documents are printed (Invitation letter, hotel reservation, a letter from your institution, etc.). It is always a good idea to have some cash with you, if you plan to change currencies at the airport they will require proof of residence so carry that with you. A student’s life is dependent on having a functioning laptop so when travelling note that various countries have different charging ports and adaptors be sure to pack the correct charger/adaptor (I’ve learnt this the hard way). Always check if the conference provides transfer from the airport, if not book a cab in advance. Lastly, download or save a map in your phone that you will be able to use even without data so that you don’t get lost.

AT THE CONFERENCE

As much as there is pressure to be seen and heard, always relax and be yourself. Conferences are the best places to find potential collaborators and supervisors, so all the preparation is worth doing. The elevator pitch will be essential on the first day of the conference as everyone is getting to know each other. The following days should be used for networking and putting your research out there. Don’t be intimidated in the coffee and lunch breaks. Speak to people and initiate discussions; not all conversations have to be based on your research interests. Be open with everyone and don’t shy away from making (appropriate) jokes or hopping onto discussions you are passionate about. You also have the chance to meet researchers that you have been referencing in your papers. It is not always about telling them about your current article, maybe just introducing yourself and make a comment that they will remember you when you send them an email afterwards.

In preparation for your presentation day, ensure that you have an early night, wear comfortable clothes and thoroughly go over your slides/ poster (try to prepare for possible questions). For oral presentations, check your slides at the presentation venue to see if they are clear and compatible with the venue systems.

Unfortunately, not all people attending conferences have pure intentions, be alert, and if you plan on going out, it is advisable to always have a trusted companion with you. Some attendees (young and old) can behave most inappropriately, don’t be afraid to speak out and report to the relevant committees.Most importantly, have fun! Conferences are a working visit, but they also offer cultural experiences which are first time experiences for many students. For me, each conference has always resulted in friendships that lasted far beyond the academic encounters. Once the conference craze is over, and you are back at work, you should follow up with the people you met at the conference to further cement your engagements and start collaborations.

Preparing For A Virtual Conference

The advise I shared will come in handy when things return to ‘normal’; however, for now, we are stuck with virtual conferences. Although virtual conferences may seem less demanding, one still needs to prepare. Most of the pre-travel preparations I above mentioned still apply; however, the logistics and networking differs slightly for the virtual conference.Before the conference starts, go through all the conference material and ensure that you have successfully downloaded the platform that will be used for the conference. Familiarise yourself with the different functionalities within the platform (e.g. How to raise your hand, how to join breakaway rooms, etc. ). You then need to prepare a suitable work environment that will enable you to fully participate at the conference with minimal disturbances. Ensure that your workstation has relatively reliable internet connection! For networking, don’t be afraid to reach out to participants (through individual chat boxes or emails), engage during breakaway sessions, and spark conversations always ask questions to presenters or panel members.

Posted on by Joyful Mdhluli

Giving back to our communities

The same way we find and feel that mentors are important to us just like Munira discussed in her August blog, I believe that we should do the same for others. Like I also mentioned in my August blog about the importance of finding a support system that will motivate and support us, I also said that after we have found that support system, we should go out there and be someone else’s support system.

I didn’t realize how much of a difference I could make to young kids’ lives until this year when I was more involved in community work. All the previous years I always dedicated some of my time to volunteer work in terms of mentorship programs or open days for high school learners but none of these ever required me to interact with these learners after that one event. This year I made a conscious decision to participate in the efforts of Nka’Thuto EduPropeller, and was actively involved in some of their expos.

Nkathutho

Nka’Thuto is a non-profit organization that was established in 2016 with the objective to spark interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) careers amongst learners. There is a 7 tier process that is followed that the learners are involved in, the first process is the Activation stage. During this stage, the organization goes to various schools and encourage learners to find problems in their communities. The second process in the programme is the workshop stage. This stage teaches the learners about how to go about conducting research and finding solutions to the problems they have identified in their community. The third is the consultation stage, the learners are giving an opportunity to consult with mentors about their ideas. Thereafter, the internal school level Innovation Expo happens where learners compete amongst their peers. A computer skills workshop is also offered to the learners. The winners of the school level expo then compete in the final innovation expo with other learners from different schools and provinces. The winners from the final expo then proceed to the Entrepreneurship expo pitching competition.

I was involved in the internal school level and the final innovation expos. The feeling that comes with being part of such initiatives is beyond satisfying. Getting the opportunity to interact with the learners, not only about their science projects but also their future plans are just remarkable. Leading up to the final expo round, they invited me to a mentorship session to help the learners prepare for the finals. I was happy to see a whole lot of familiar faces from the previous expos. I was especially ecstatic to have two learners who insisted on having a consultation with me since I was their judge during their school level expo. They were happy to show me that they have implemented my suggestions and wanted to know if there was more I could suggest from what they have done. On the day of the final expo, I made it a point of mine to go have a look at their board and I was truly impressed with the effort they made in improving from their last expo. This was clearly an indication that they were there to learn.

What I am trying to say is that I really believe it is important that us as postgraduate students should be the mentors that we would like for ourselves. The same way we would like mentors to guide and support us, we should also pass this on to others younger than us. Not everyone has the opportunity to meet people who are in the same career path they would like to follow. Take me for example, I did not know that one can have a career in Physics when I was still in High School. So now I make it a point to let the younger learners know that it is possible to have a career apart from the typical careers that they are aware of. During the expo sessions I judged in, I asked most of them what they wanted to do when they finished school. It was interesting because I got a variety of answers ranging from software engineering to being doctors. What gave them hope was that I would even tell them that I knew a couple of people who were in the same career field as their interests.

Nkathutho1

We have a whole generation of young people who are smart that just need mentors to guide them in the right direction. We are part of this generation that needs mentors but let us not forget those younger than us.  We are the mentors that they need, want and should have. We should give more of our time to encourage, motivate and mentor these learners. Let us be their role models, someone for them to look up to and aspire to become.

I am not saying that everyone should start a foundation or organization that helps learners from our communities, from what I have heard, it’s a lot of work. What I am however saying is that if you do come across a foundation or organization that is looking for volunteers, volunteer your time. There is more to giving back to the community than volunteering at a soup kitchen or visiting old age homes and orphanages. Sometimes sharing our knowledge and skills can go a long way in making a difference in someone else’s life. The learners are really looking for someone to inspire and give them hope, be that light at the end of their High School tunnel.