Academic conferences present valuable opportunities to learn about cutting edge research, meet new people, and build strong professional relationships with others in your field. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic put a halt to in-person gatherings, which led to the cancellation of several conferences and pushed others online. Virtual conferences became an immediate, alternative solution for researchers keen on attending academic conferences. It was more accessible to a larger audience and cut down on researchers’ carbon footprint.
With obstacles such as the often high cost of travel out of the way, researchers had the chance to attend academic conferences, workshops, and meetings via digital platforms irrespective of their location. They could now attend conferences worldwide right from their homes, which further added to the many benefits of attending international conferences. This new way of attending academic conferences online led to higher attendance rates1 with researchers being able to exchange scientific knowledge in their field and interact with peers across the world.
As the world became more accustomed to living with the pandemic, some academic associations resumed in-person conferences while ensuring strict health regulations were followed. However, the emergence of new COVID variants, a lower than expected response from speakers and attendants, and the high cost of coordinating events led to a growing popularity of the hybrid model, which offered a blend of in-person gatherings and digital formats.2
Regardless of the chosen format, there are many benefits of attending academic conferences. Yet many researchers, especially those just starting out in academia, are often wary and hesitate to sign up for scientific conferences. Academic conferences present researchers with an opportunity to keep up with the latest developments in science, learn about career-changing prospects, and forge strong working relationships. Check out these 10 major benefits of attending academic conferences.
The benefits of attending academic conferences
- Share your research with peers: Attending academic conferences can be an ideal opportunity to not only showcase your research to an audience of peers but also invite questions and feedback that will ultimately help you make your research work stronger.
- Strengthen your presentation skills: Presenting your findings at different academic conferences helps you to develop and polish your communication skills, which also builds your confidence as a researcher.
- Discuss your insights with peers: Academic conferences are a great platform for a productive exchange of ideas. You get a chance to share your research and engage in insightful discussions with others on the latest happenings in your field of study. Knowledge-sharing when attending academic conferences is an invaluable opportunity to gain new perspectives and broaden your horizons.
- Be inspired by new ideas: Different types of academic conferences offer a well-structured mix of activities, including panel sessions, keynote speakers, oral and poster presentations, exhibits, workshops, and interactive Q&A sessions. This gives you a chance to sample and gain from a variety of different topics and ideas.
- Get your research published: Attending academic conferences also provide researchers with the chance to publish any findings they present at the event as part of conference proceedings with an International Standard Book Number.3
- Keep up with academic publishing trends: One of the major benefits of attending academic conferences is being able to stay abreast of new findings and changing trends not only in your own research field and associated areas but also in the scholarly publishing industry as a whole.
- Identify experts for collaborative research: Academic conferences also bring you together with experts and researchers who have similar aspirations. This is an ideal platform to discuss ideas or identify research projects that you can collaborate on to create something bigger and better with the potential to create significant impact in the future.
- Build a strong researcher network: Becoming part of established and relevant researcher and social networks is important not just for networking purposes but also for an exchange of ideas and resources. Staying in touch with peers who share similar objectives will help you build an invaluable support system that you can lean on when required.
- Broaden your horizon and socialization skills: Academic conferences draw in people from across the world, even more so when it is hosted virtually on an academic conference platform. Being a part of such events not only sensitizes you to accept and understand the differences in cultural habits and thought processes but also allows you to expand your horizon with a deeper understanding of the potential gaps and challenges in your field that you can apply to your research.
- Take a break from regular research work: Most researchers have very tiring and time-consuming schedules, which leave little to no time to meet and interact with others. What’s more, if you’re attending an in-person conference, you get to travel to different cities around the world; you can also extend your trip for a few days to create a well-deserved break from your busy routine.
Now that you know the many benefits of attending academic conferences, the next step is to choose which ones you should be a part of. When making the decision to attend an academic conference, ask yourself what you want to achieve, whether you want to join a global conference or a specialized event focused on your field, and finally evaluate the potential costs involved (for travel, stay, admission fee, etc.). Once you shortlist the type of academic conference you want to attend, go ahead and sign up; it’s the first step to building your research and professional reputation. All the best!
References:
- Schreiner, L.J., Badawi, R. & Baldock, C. The post-COVID future of research conferences should be virtual. Phys Eng Sci Med 45, 413–417 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13246-022-01138-y
- Grove, J. Academic conferences scale back hybrid ambitions. Times Higher Education (July 18, 2022) https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/academic-conferences-scale-back-hybrid-ambitions
- 8 Reasons to attend international academic conferences. Global Academic Institute. https://www.globalacademicinstitute.com/8-reasons-to-attend-international-academic-conferences/
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