Last updated June 28, 2017 at 12:16 pm
We asked a bunch of young scientists who received the Lindau Nobel Laureate Fellowship to be our field reporters at the annual Science at the Shine Dome conference. In this report, Joy, a chemist from Sydney, writes about the conference.
On my way to Canberra, my mind was filled with curiosity, wondering what the meeting would be like and what I should expect. On my way back to Sydney, I reflected on this memorable event, in which I have learnt tremendously.
Science at the Shine Dome is a prestigious annual event. It gathered the brightest minds in the Australian science community, in a combination of fellows of the Australian Academy of Science, award winners, symposium speakers, Lindau delegates, early- and mid-career researchers. The scientific program was inspiring, enriched with presentations and short courses. From atoms to cosmology, from plants to ecology, from modelling to treating diseases, I was amazed by the diversity. Different from my previous conferences, which all have a specific field of focus, the diversity of this meeting increased my openness to unfamiliar fields. Our speakers are brilliant scientists as well as excellent communicators – they tailored their talks to suit a general audience.
The social program was fun, from a casual BBQ evening to an annual gala dinner. The organising committee put lots of thoughts into assigning the table seating. Each table has a combination of people working in different fields, from different institutes, and with different levels of experience. Beat me if you can – I had the opportunity to interact with over fifty people over the past three days. Throughout these stimulating conversions, I received refreshing ideas and valuable advice. I heard the adventure, the success, and the tears behind research and science. I felt the passion and the dedication to what people love and believe in.
As one of the Lindau delegates, the Science at the Shine Dome has prepared us well for the upcoming Lindau Nobel Laurate Meeting. I learnt to move outside of my comfort zone and to adapt to a great variety of topics and people. As a newbie in the field, the chance of finding someone doing the exact same research area is not high. However, this doesn’t prevent us from having great conversations, such as the crucial role of the Academy to bridge between government policies and research development, or peoples’ perspectives on career development. If you are open-minded, passionate about science and determined to achieve more, this is a unique experience which you will reflect on from time to time.
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