Bochra Kouraichi, University of Szeged, Hungary
This is not meant to be a guide with a set number of steps that you should follow; but more of a recount of my own emotions and motivations. In the spring-summer semester I attended many conferences both online and in-person. I would probably think this is the time of the year that most conference organizers thought it’s suitable Covid-wise to plan big meetings of people traveling from different parts of the world.
I wouldn’t give tips on things you should do at a conference because I do not appreciate the pressure that some junior scholars are put under. I am not a big fan of the term “networking” that some conference participants have as the main goal. Meeting people is great; feeling pressured to talk to people is not so great! Or at least, that’s how I see it.
My latest two conferences in one week were in different cities in Germany. I would consider that the main takeaway of the first conference was volunteering to translate pamphlets from English into Arabic on a project that targets children and addresses their emotions during wars, pandemics, or natural disasters. The idea came when I joined two Italian participants over lunch and I randomly mentioned my MA in translation. From the second conference, I could mention the convenor’s advice to us, final-year PhD students, not to be absorbed in our looming submission deadlines and to have some time to think about what’s next.
Taking personal breaks during conferences is so important. Most people in the afternoon will feel so tired that they cannot attend any more sessions. Sitting outside the conference building for some minutes while thinking which presentations to attend or just taking a break and making a phone call and having a non Academic conversation could be helpful.
Some participants were so excited for their first post-Covid in-person conference. Mine was not so exciting because of the awkward measures of wearing masks when attending presentations then removing them to eat as the whole group. Talking to a person while wearing an FFP2 mask was tiring for both the speaker and the listener. I think conference participants should just consent for the risk taken when attending big meetings. Being in a big crowd after long hours of academic solitary work can also be frustrating.
Conferences are an important source of motivation to start a project before the conference and then to finish that project after getting constructive feedback. I learned from big names/ established scholars that they do not always come with final (polished) results and conclusions. They often present their ideas and give some food for thought. From fellow doctoral students or early-career researchers, it is often the case that they bring to the table their challenges and look for recommendation or guidance, which is even more insightful.
I also remember how a postdoctoral researcher was impressed when I introduced myself as a teacher of English; I can’t remember the last time someone showed appreciation of my job title. I was scared of identifying myself as teacher and attending talks on teacher wellbeing, demotivation, and burnout that would bring up all the psychological tolls I’ve experienced as a teacher. I chose to listen to talks on students’ motivation and identify as a student researching students’ motivation.
My first international conference was in Germany. Needless to mention how anxious I was. The session chair took all the anxiety away when he introduced me by recalling his memorable trip to Tunisia in the 90s. I was also surprised by the number of people talking to me after my presentation. Whether you’re an MA student, PhD student or junior researcher, never underestimate your work and yourself and remember that’s how leading scholars started.
I happened to meet two professors from my university whom I never met before. One of them shares her office with a professor in my program. I sent a photo to my professor to show her that we met, and she answered me: “Have fun! And please misbehave". Whatever that means, conferences are also an occasion to see the cool side of academics and it makes the academic milieu for once relaxed.
You can find out more about the two conferences Bochra attended here:
International Conference on Motivation by EARLI sig 8 in Dresden: https://sig8meetssig16-dresden.de/#
Doctoral Symposium by ESSE in Mainz https://esse2022.uni-mainz.de/
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