Dr Megan Wang (née Kelleher)

Hello, and welcome back to my blog! Firstly, I’m incredibly sorry for being away for so long. Finishing up a PhD was a lot more time-consuming than I thought, and I actually started a new job between submission and my viva. I may write a bit more about this experience in due course, so let me know if this would be of interest to you!

In this blog, I wanted to discuss a bit more about academic conferences, as I know they can be really daunting if you’ve never been to one. I’ve now attended two in-person conferences, and both of them were overseas; one in Poland, and one in Germany. Both had different vibes to them but I would say both had a similar format and were incredibly rewarding. I wanted to share my experiences with you, to show that conferences aren’t as scary as they seem (even if you know no one going!) and some of the format, so you can have a bit more insight than I did.

What is an Academic Conference?

Let’s start off with the basics: what an academic conference is. In my experience, an academic conference is held at a University over the course of 2-3 days. Among the order of the event is lots of academic papers from experts in their fields, group visits around the local area and then drinks/evening meals. “Conference dinners” tend to be a lot more informal than they sound on paper, so don’t feel like you need to dust off your tuxedo for it! Over the course of the days you’re there, it’s expected in the breaks and suchlike you’ll have enriching conversations and networking opportunities; however, it’s not obligatory that you attend all of the panels, events and talk throughout the breaks. Do as much or as little as you like and feel up to, as it is easy to get tired out after 12+ hours of panels and networking!

In most cases there is usually some sort of support provided to students, which could include waiving conference fees (if they have them) to providing accommodation and/or food. Papers tend to last about 20 minutes per speaker, and they are categorised into panels through common themes such as time period, topic or research methodology.

How to Find out About Conferences and Apply to Present

In all honesty, my conference experience has come from speaking to my PhD supervisors, who have drawn my attention to certain conferences coming up. However, Twitter and other social media platforms are a great way to see “Call for Papers” advertisements, and it may be worth following academics you admire to see which groups they’re affiliated to and where they’re off to. Usually, conferences take place in the summer months so expect to see these advertisements around January for a March deadline. This then gives you enough time, if accepted, to write the paper you’re supposed to present.

If you are interested in attending a conference but don’t want to present a paper, don’t feel like you’re excluded. There are plenty of people at the conferences I’ve attended who didn’t present, so you won’t be the only one! Out of courtesy, it may be worth emailing the event organiser just to see if this is possible and make them aware you’d like to attend. As you’re not a presenter, fee waivers and suchlike may not apply to you, so just be mindful of that.

Conference Etiquette: What to Bring, Free Time and Friends

Conferences can be incredibly daunting, especially if you’re just starting out in the academic world and do not know what to expect. I remember thinking “I know no one, how am I going to survive 3 days of talking to strangers?” and then panicking that my choice of clothing was not smart enough. Firstly, please do not worry about these things (easier said than done, I know) as everyone is in the same boat. Yes, some academics may know each other from the circles they move in but that doesn’t mean you’ll be standing on the periphery; say hello to people, ask about where they’re from and their research and you’ll be making academic friends in no time! Sometimes, there can be language barriers to consider (all of my conferences were in English, but for 90% of the speakers it wasn’t their first language) so be mindful of using figures of speech and speaking too quickly but it can be an incredibly enriching experience, and a great way to think about where you’d like to take your research!

In terms of attire, of course customs can vary but “smart casual” hasn’t failed me yet. Some people choose to attend in jeans and trainers, or in three piece suits, which are both acceptable. Wear something that makes you feel good, especially on presentation day, and that is comfortable for you; you’re sitting down for hours at a time, so there’s nothing worse than something that is too tight or digs into your body. Most of the time, there isn’t really time to change between the final papers and the evening activity so don’t feel obligated to bring something to change into for the evenings.

As I mentioned at the start of this post, you do not have to attend all sections of a conference; remember, it’s about making it work for you and your research. Most people don’t attend absolutely everything; some people may skip a paper to write their own or catch up on emails, for example, and I often skipped the evening activity because I was exhausted and wanted to speak to my partner about my day. Furthermore, when people are presenting it is commonplace for people to be on computers/phones and suchlike; don’t take this as your paper being “boring” as many people are still being expected to do their day-to-day work on top of attending the conference!

Final Thoughts

I hope this blog helps to navigate the mysteries of academic conferences, and encourages you to consider attending or even presenting at one. I cannot recommend enough going along to an academic conference: I’ve made some really lovely friends from attending them who cover a range of topics, and it’s through these types of events I’ve been able to share my work and also really evaluate how I’m looking at my topic. It’s also a great way to spark ideas about a new project, or an area of your research that has been bugging you!

Featured Image: A picture of the author at the Commemoration and Heritage Conference in at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland, June 2023.