I had the opportunity to attend and present at the British Conference of Undergraduate Research (BCUR), which is an annual academic conference in the UK. There were 350 student presentations with students from all over the UK and Internationally. This year it was held at the LSE, in London.
On day one of the conference, it was a beautiful day in London, and I was filled with nerves and excitement as I entered the Cheng Kin Ku building at LSE. The building was filled with so many individuals from all over, and it gave an exciting atmosphere.
I attended the conference only for the first day, and it was a jam-packed day. My poster and oral presentation were held alongside many other events throughout the day. It was amazing to support my peers and watch their research projects involved.
To start the day, we were welcomed by the amazing team at LSE—Dr. Claire Gordon, David Faggiani, and Hongli Liu—who organized and put the event together. Afterwards, we had an inspiring keynote speech by Dr Grace Lordan about ‘Thinking Big’. This really set the tone for the day for me to realise I was pushing myself out of my comfort zone and growing as an individual.
Following this, the day was filled with networking and engaging with other peers from different universities. It included participating in other presentations ranging from various subjects such as ‘Hong Kong National Security Law’ to ‘White-Collar Boxing’. It really highlighted all the ideas, passions, and perspectives of how each research was important. The day carried on sparking conversations where I was challenged and learnt many new things, in the best way possible. I also participated in a workshop on ‘how to utilise social media’ to help promote research, which was so insightful and helped form new ideas.
I was able to present my poster throughout the day at many different times. It was so lovely to see many individuals interested in my project and ask questions. My oral presentation was one of the final ones to be presented of the day. It made me more nervous to think not many people would turn up, but there was a room full, which gave me the confidence to present. I was very nervous about this part because presenting is something I do not often do or have confidence in. However, I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it and get past my nervousness. The presentation was a massive success, and I can say I stepped out of my comfort zone. I definitely felt proud of myself and empowered to see my efforts paid off, and I have gained confidence in my presentation skills.
Finally, the day had come to an end, and I left the conference feeling so motivated and filled with passion. The day highlighted how important it is having BCUR which has created the space for undergraduates to show off. I saw the day as a form of celebration for all the hard work put into the research projects and ourselves.
Lastly, I would like to thank the Laidlaw Foundation and the University of Leeds for allowing me to attend the BCUR and a massive thank you to Rebecca Shaw, Matt Penhaligon and Paul Taylor for all the support and making this all possible!