1、Unit 1Understanding International ConferencesTypes of MeetingsIPrincipal Activities at Academic ConferencesIIImportant Information about an Academic ConferenceIIIReflections and PracticeIV2After completing this section,you will be able to differentiate different types of meetings;be familiar with th
2、e principal activities at academic conferences;grasp the important information for preparing for an academic conference.3Part ITypes of Meetings41.Types of MeetingsMEETING means an act or process of coming together.Merriam-Webster DictionaryMEETING is an assembly or conference of persons for a speci
3、fic purpose.T51.Types of MeetingsMeetings may occur u face-to-face or virtuallyu mediated by communications technology a telephone conference call a skype conference call a video conference61.Types of MeetingsMeetings are different from other gatherings,for example,a chance encounter(for it is not c
4、onvened);a sports game(for there is no verbal interaction),a company of friends(for there is no common goal);or a demonstration(for it is mostly done by the number of the demonstrators).Meetings are featured by being convened,having common goals,and involving verbal interactions.71.Types of Meetings
5、Meetings are often held at hotels,convention centers or any venues specifically used for meetings.81.Types of MeetingsMeetings cover lecture(one presentation)seminar(typically several presentations,small audience,one day)symposium(small-size,one day)workshop(smaller,with active participants)conferen
6、ce(mid-size,one or more days)congress(large,several days)91.1 LectureThe word“lecture”dates back to the 14th century,meaning“action of reading”.It refers to a speech read or delivered before an audience or class,especially for instruction or to set forth a subject.A lectern is a raised,slanted stand
7、 on which a speaker can place his or her notes.The word“lectern”comes from the same source as“lecture”,meaning“to read”.Though lectures are much criticized as a teaching method,they are still the mainstay of higher education teaching,and often they are the only practical and cost-effective means of
8、ensuring that curricula can be delivered in full to large numbers of students.The lecturing style and technique is also often used successfully in conferences and workshops.101.2 SeminarThe word“seminar”is derived from the Latin word seminarium,meaning“seed plot”.It is a form of academic instruction
9、,either at an academic institution or offered by a commercial or professional organization.Often a seminar focuses on a particular subject,in which everyone present is requested to participate.Over the seminar,the assigned readings are discussed,questions can be raised and debates can be conducted.K
10、nowledge in a seminar is gained not by listening,but by reading and talking.11At North American universities,the term“seminar”refers to a course of intense study relating to the students major.Seminars can revolve around term papers,exams,presentations,and other assignments.The idea behind the semin
11、ar system is to familiarize students with the methodology of their chosen subject and also to allow them to interact with examples of the practical problems that always occur during their research work.12In some European universities,a seminar may be a large lecture course,especially when conducted
12、by a renowned thinker,regardless of the size of the audience or the scope of student participation in discussion.Some non-English speaking countries in Europe use the term“seminar”(e.g.German Seminar)to refer to a university class that includes a term paper or project,as opposed to a lecture class.1
13、31.3 SymposiumThe word“symposium”is derived from Greek,meaning“to drink together”.In ancient Greece,a symposium was a part of a banquet that took place after the meal,when drinking for pleasure was accompanied by music,dancing,recitals,or conversations.In modern usage,a symposium is a formal meeting
14、 at which several specialists deliver short addresses on a topic or on related topics.It is characterized by an openly discursive format,rather than a lecture and question-answer format.Compared with a conference,a symposium is usually narrower and more specific in the range of topics.In terms of sc
15、ale,it is smaller than a conference,as sometimes a conference may include several symposiums held simultaneously.The chief characteristic of a symposium is that it covers a single topic or subject and all the lectures given by specialists are completed in a single day.141.4 WorkshopOriginally,a“work
16、shop”refers to a room or a building which provides both the area and tools(or machinery)that may be required for the manufacture or repair of manufactured goods in the Industrial Revolution era.But now a workshop often refers to a meeting at which a group of people engage in intensive discussion and
17、 activity on a particular subject or project,a seminar,discussion group,or the like,that emphasizes an exchange of ideas and the demonstration and application of techniques,skills,etc.Differing from other meetings,workshops emphasize practical performance,besides academic discussions.151.5 Conferenc
18、eThe Latin roots of the word“conference”mean,literally,“bring together.”A conference brings together people and ideas.It is a meeting of people who“confer”about a topic.It can take place in different fields,and need not be academic in nature all the time,e.g.the Chinese Peoples Political Consultativ
19、e Conference.A conference is always prearranged and involves consultation and discussion on a number of topics by the participants.16An academic conference or symposium is a conference for researchers to present and discuss their work.Together with academic or scientific journals,conferences provide
20、 an important channel for an exchange of information between researchers.In reality,symposium and conference are often used interchangeably.The format usually involves graduate students and academics presenting their research,work,and theories,and defending,expanding,or changing them in response to
21、questions,criticism,and other feedback from colleagues.Generally,these conferences are often sponsored by a professional organization of the discipline involved,and may be held in a different city each year.A major focus of academic conferences,besides the exchange of ideas,is networking,which is a
22、key to collaboration,funding,employment,and other professional benefits.17Academic conferences are usually composed of various presentations with a time span of about 10 to 30 minutes and the work may be bundled in a written form as academic papers and published as the conference proceedings.Usually
23、 an academic conference invites some standing scholars to give keynote lectures.And these keynote lectures often run up to an hour or longer.In addition to presentations,academic conferences also feature panel discussions,roundtables on various issues,poster sessions and workshops.18An academic conf
24、erence may also be held online,or something similar.Teleconferences bring people together through live video feeds,allowing people to discuss issues,hear presentations,network,and otherwise do many of the things they might do at a conference,without leaving their homes or offices.Similar situations
25、can be set up using the Internet,projectors,web cams and microphones.191.6 CongressThe word“congress”is most frequently used to denote the supreme legislative body of a nation and especially of a republic,e.g.the Congress of the United States.It also refers to a formal meeting or assembly of represe
26、ntatives for the discussion,arrangement,or promotion of some matter of common interest.Congress is similar to conference,but the former implies a higher degree of formality.20Part IIPrincipal Activities at Academic Conferences212.Principal Activities at Academic Conferencesu 2.1 plenary sessionsu 2.
27、2 Parallel sessionsu 2.3 poster sessionsu 2.4 panel discussions 222.1 Plenary sessionsA plenary session is a session of a conference which all participants are to attend.Such a session may include a broad range of content,from keynotes to panel discussions,and is not necessarily related to a specifi
28、c style of presentation or deliberative process.The keynote lectures done in the plenary sessions are often longer than those done in parallel sessions.Most frequently the keynote speakers are invited by the organizers and they are usually quite senior or somehow big-name.They may give a general,hig
29、h level review talk(s).232.2 Parallel sessionsA parallel session or called a concurrent session,is a session of a conference which the speakers give their presentations in separate rooms at the same time.The speakers for the parallel sessions are selected based on their submitted abstracts.At the en
30、d of their presentation there is time for questions.In a parallel session the size of the audience is limited.242.3 Poster sessionsIn a poster session of a conference,participants present their information through a poster.He/she waits for passing colleagues,to briefly present his/her work and answe
31、r questions.In a poster session the presenter has to tell his/her story more than once and the interaction between the presenter and audience can be more intense.Generally there is an award to the best designed poster presented at the conference and the winner will receive a prize and a certificate.
32、252.4 Panel discussionsPanel discussions at academic conferences are a useful way to trigger an exchange of viewpoints among experts,either with prepared statements or in response to questions from the audience.Due to the on-the-spot interaction,panel discussions are more difficult to prepare than p
33、resentations.26Part IIIImportant Information about an Academic Conference273.Important Information about an Academic ConferenceAttending an academic conference can be a big time commitment.There is several vital information the participants need to know before they attend in order to make the most o
34、f an academic conference.283.1 General information about an academic conferenceThe participant should know:the name of the conference,the date and location,topics for discussion,accommodation,transportation,weather conditions recommendations for clothes and so on.This kind of information can be very
35、 comprehensive,involving activities before,during and after an academic conference.293.2 Paper submission informationPaper submission information includes the types of submissions and how to submit the work to the conference.The Submission Types information generally can be read in conjunction with
36、the Call for Papers and the Submission Guidelines of the conference.With the help of the Call for Papers and the Submission Guidelines,the participant can easily obtain information to help through the process from abstract submission to preparing the presentation at the conference.30Its important to
37、 find out what is required,for example,does the conference want a title,an abstract and title,or a full copy of the paper?What is the word limit that the conference organizer sets?What is the deadline of the abstract and the paper submission?31 3.3 Organizational informationConference committees and
38、 organizational structures may vary according to conference circumstances.Some structures may depend on whether a professional conference organizer is employed.Generally,there is an organizing committee,an academic committee,and a secretariat for the smooth running of the conference.Sometimes accord
39、ing to the scale and the purpose of an academic conference,some more committees are needed,for example,advisory committee,executive committee,registration committee,finance committee,local arrangement committee and so on.32As for the organizing committee of an academic conference,it is charged with
40、the planning,running,and oversight of the conference to ensure that it meets the objectives stated to the conference.The organizing committee is often composed of the General Chair(s),the Program Chair(s),and other selected chairs.The General Chair(s)is/are responsible for the overall running of the
41、 conference,and serves as the Chair(s)of the Organizing Committee.33As for the academic committee(also called program committee),it is responsible for evaluating the submitted papers,the design of the agenda and the arrangement of academic communication at the conference.As for the secretariat,it is
42、 responsible for ensuring that the conference is properly called and organized.Its officials or office are entrusted with administrative duties,maintaining records,and overseeing or performing all secretarial duties.343.4 Participants informationAttending a conference is a professionally rewarding e
43、xperience.Obtaining the participants information is important to make the experience more rewarding for a conference-goer.The information includes who is the chairperson of the organizing committee,who are the keynote speakers,who are the members of the academic committees,who are the members of the
44、 secretariat and so on.These information will get you prepared to see those who have written papers youve read,or maybe to start to build relationships with other researchers in the same field.35Part VIReflections and Practice 361.What are the main differences between the different types of meetings
45、 from the perspective of the meeting-goers?2.What information is also important for a first-time conference attendant besides those mentioned in the text?3.What are your goals of conference attendance?4.Find one academic conference notice related to your research field and discuss in pairs its important information.37THANK YOU38
