On Thursday 16th October, as part of our 2025 ECR Month line-up, Meng Tian, BELMAS Trustee and Associate Professor in Educational Leadership at the University of Birmingham, hosted ‘Demystifying International Research Conferences and Building Professional Networks for ECRs’.
During the event, Meng engaged in a dialogue with three PGR students, Kausor Amin-Ali, Weilin Yan and Rachel du Croz, about the benefits of attending international research conferences, such as the BELMAS Annual Conference, and strategies for effective professional networking.
The session offered practical advice on preparing for three commonly used conference presentation formats: workshops, theatre/paper, and posters. Our three guest speakers shared their experiences, tips, and recommendations on which formats are most suitable for ECRs at different stages of their research.
In addition, Meng Tian reflected on her career trajectory and discussed how to maximise networking opportunities at conferences and research events, with the support of supervisors and conference organisers.
If you missed this event or would like a recap, you can now watch it in full below.
Our huge thanks to Meng for hosting this event, to our guest speakers, Kausor, Weilin and Rachel, for their important insights, and to everyone who joined us for this session.
