Written by Elyse Longair
In October, I shared my research at my first conference of the academic school year. When a colleague and friend asked if it was worthwhile and if I would recommend conferences in general, I immediately, enthusiastically, said yes! Then I back peddled a little with a “well it depends…” and proceeded to explain myself.
Conferences can be fantastic professional development opportunities and can forward your research in unexpected ways. Unfortunately, the reality is that conferences can also be very expensive. Especially, if like me, you don’t have funding and have pay out of pocket.
With this in mind, it is important to choose the right conference for you and your goals and to create a budget. I will use my recent conference experience as an example. I attended the Universities Arts Association of Canada Conference, (UAAC) for a number of reasons:
- UACC is the leading conference, in my field of art theory and art history in Canada. The conference has an international reach and looks great on a resume. It has a strong academic and artistic community. Each year, I reconnect with students, professors and professionals (ranging from my undergraduate degree in 2011 to more recent colleagues). I also embrace occasions to meet new people.
- I had the opportunity to both present my current Ph.D. research and chair a panel on my Ph.D. research topic.
- Presenting pushed me to form my thoughts into a paper (which will become a section in my dissertation) and to share this new research for critical feedback. Our early morning panel didn’t have a large audience so the engagement I was hoping for although good, was limited. Presenting also provided a space for me to practice making my presentations more accessible, a goal I am working towards.
- Chairing the panel, introduced me to scholars whose research and practices overlap with mine. This new knowledge gained is something I hope to incorporate in my dissertation. I also unexpectedly found my external advisor for my defense, which as know, is huge. At the beginning of my panel, I shared my first genuine, engaging land acknowledgement (vs. reading a scripted one). This is another goal I am working towards and something I am learning about.
- Bonus, it was in the mountains near my family which meant my parents tagged along providing much needed love and support.
For me, this conference was invaluable, however, it is not always the case.
It's Conference Season: Part 1 can be read here.