Having wrapped up ICUR 2021, we thought this would be a great time to reflect on its successes in adapting to the unique challenges posed by a hybrid working world! You can also hear from Fernando, one of our 2022 Student Directors, on his experiences as a Student Presenter and Session Chair.
Summarising ICUR 2021
With over 100 spoken presentations and 14 international institutions participating in ICUR 2021, we continued to provide students the opportunity to share their research projects on a global level. As always, the interdisciplinary core of ICUR allowed students to stretch their minds and expose themselves to innovative findings across new disciplines.
This is reflected in the feedback from our student presenters, who gave an overall satisfaction rating of 4.6/5 for ICUR 2021 – despite all of the adaptations that were made due to COVID-19. Continuing from 2020 as a largely virtual conference, we were not only able to accommodate Warwick students presenting on campus but we also maximised the use of the ICUR App! The App was used by over 95% of student presenters, and was a central location where attendees could find all the links and information they needed.
Regardless of how presentations were delivered, students continued to say that the experience was extremely useful in building research and presentation skills – which will prove to be useful no matter which career students choose to pursue. In fact, 90% of student presenters highlighted that the opportunity was a valuable addition to their CV – since it is a unique opportunity to present individual research projects internationally as an undergraduate.
Some of our student presenters wanted to share their thoughts on how ICUR benefitted them, and why it’s an opportunity you shouldn’t miss out on! Take a look below:
” The best part about ICUR is… having the opportunity to present in an interdisciplinary format and connect with likeminded individuals. I think it is a fantastic learning opportunity! It is a safe and supportive environment to showcase your research and also develop your presentation skills.” – Caitlin
“The best part about ICUR is… being able to present your research to like minded people. This also forces you to really evaluate your research, and determine whether there are any real-world implications coming from it.” – Zac
“ICUR is an amazing opportunity to disseminate your research to a global audience and to also learn from other people’s work from across the world.” – Emily
“I enjoyed the presentations of our group members. Their topics were interesting and the content was presented in a professional manner. It was nice to interact with presenters from across the globe. I also enjoyed the experience of presenting our research to an international audience. The audience was attentive and asked questions specific to our presentation. Presenting to an international audience is a once in a life time experience.” – Alicia
Experiencing ICUR 2021 – Fernando’s Perspective
Who better to share their account of ICUR 2021 than Fernando, who was involved as both a Student Presenter and Session Chair. Let’s hear his thoughts:
“Being involved in ICUR 2021 both as a Presenter and as a Session Chair allowed me to interact with two very different sides of the conference. From both sides, I interacted with wonderful people, learned new things, and was left with a great experience.
As a presenter, I had the opportunity to fulfil a goal of mine – taking part in a research-oriented conference, with my own work. My presentation was the result of a six-week research project undertaken within the Chemistry department at the University of Warwick. This project was developed as part of my involvement with the Undergraduate Research Support Scheme (URSS) and focused on the functionalisation and stabilisation of organoarsenic nanoparticles. To be given a voice and a platform to show the result of my ‘blood, sweat and tears’ was extremely validating, as someone who wants to pursue a career in research. Undergraduate research can sometimes be overlooked, due to work arising from higher-degree professionals and institutions. However, ICUR taught me the value of re-defining the focus towards the new generation of up-and-coming researchers and creating a space where the contributions of these people are acknowledged and disseminated. Listening to other people’s presentations, it is impossible not to see the power ICUR has in putting undergraduate researchers at the forefront of innovation stories, propelling them to create real-life changes.
From an organisational perspective, as Session Chair I had the pleasure to work with a team of extremely driven people, who shared a genuine concern of providing the best possible experience for the students participating. I was involved in hosting the sessions and liaising with the presenters to ensure their presentations ran smoothly. Doing this for the second year in a row brought me a deeper understanding of the ICUR experience. From an outside perspective, it is easy to underestimate this truly herculean task – to organise an international hybrid conference, designed to showcase and celebrate state-of-the-art undergraduate research worldwide. Being part of the organising committee, and working with such passionate people, never fails to inspire me. Furthermore, the opportunity to cooperate with students worldwide in the delivery of their presentations was eye-opening, as it allowed me to connect with the values of interdisciplinary and scientific communication from numerous different angles. It brought me a great sense of belonging, and a motivation to keep working towards being a part of this revolutionary world.
The sense of community which ICUR is able to create and nurture was unmatched by any of my previous endeavours in the field of research. Understanding the impact of ICUR on a large scale is what really enthused me to stay on the team. I am now one of the Student Directors for 2022, and I am excited to keep feeling inspired, and to inspire a new generation of presenters, as they share their voices with the world!”