Students Futures & Research Conference

An online experience for all nature-based university students

Reflecting on 2022’s conference:

Following the huge success of the first ever Student Futures and Research Conference in March 2021, we brought back #SFARConf in March 2022, in collaboration with the Linnean Society of London and with the support of a team of current students.

During this five-day conference. undergraduates, Masters and PhD students of the natural sciences and histories were invited to come together to celebrate the variety of careers available to students, interact and network with their peers and beyond, learn new skills, and have open conversations about personal struggles in research (and successes!). The conference provided up to 3 hours of live content each day, as well as pre-recorded content, competitions, reflective exercises, and opportunities for sharing.

We used Discord as a fun and flexible space to network, share interests and discuss ideas. Below is the programme overview:

In 2024 the team will be expanding our careers provisions to focus on getting the most relevant information out to careers advisors. We will be continuing to collaborate with external partners to showcase the range of green careers within ecology and the natural sciences.

Reflecting on last year’s conference:

In 2021, the SFAR conference brought together 360 students from across the world for a 17-hour experience, with 16 sessions, 22 speakers and over £1000 worth of prizes.

100% of attendees said they would recommend a friend or colleague to attend a future conference.

Feedback from an attendee: “What an amazing, inspiring and useful event this has been. Extremely good and diverse advice shared. It helped me gain a new perspective and open horizons. A great choice of speakers, with different ecological/career backgrounds was eye opening.”