I was very surprised and happy when I received an email saying that my abstract was accepted for a poster presentation at the 63rd Canadian Chemical Engineering Conference in Fredericton, New Brunswick. It would be my first international conference!
At that time, I was taking part in an exchange program called Science without Borders sponsored by the Brazilian government. I was studying at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario. I had submitted an abstract of a previous work that I have done at my home university in Brazil – Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE) while I was a scholarship student of the Training Program of Human Resources No28 ANP/PETROBRAS (PRH-28).
The title of my work was “A Thermodynamic Model for the Study of the Systems Behavior in the Pre-Salt”.
The conference provided one of the most memorable moments in my academic life.
Here are the top five reasons you should participate in conferences while studying in Canada:
1) Present in English: While it may not be your native language (English is not mine!) it is a great opportunity to practice your English communication and presentation skills to a receptive audience.
2) Receive feedback from experts: The audience for your presentation will be interested in your field, and often there are professors of the greatest Canadian universities in the crowd. For me, it was an opportunity to enhance my work with the opinions of the experts and to make excellent contacts. Moreover, I had the chance to present my poster to the author of one equation that I used in my work – Dr. Peng from the Peng-Robinson Equation. It was fantastic to hear from him!
3) Build your Network: At the conference I posed a lot of questions during sessions and I gave my business cards to all students, professors and professionals that I met there. I also participated in the Student Banquet where I made very good friends. I added all of them in my LinkedIn network and still keep in touch with a few of them.
4) Financial support: Often you will be able to find ways to recuperate some, or all of your conference expenses. Many Canadian universities offer grants for students to help cover the cost of conference travel and registration. In my case the PRH-28 which is coordinated by Dra. Celmy Maria Barbosa, sponsored all costs of the conference: flight, fees, hotel, and food. I am very grateful to all of them!
5) Travel to a new region: I really liked to visit the beautiful city of Fredericton where the imposing Saint John River lies. I felt satisfaction in sharing my work with other people. I will remember this experience for the rest of my life!