Presentation Avenue

The "Focus Group Talk" is a mini roundtable workshop/discussion session that brings together individuals from different groups to discuss and share useful tips/insights for professional development. The workshop will be held in a roundtable format, with each roundtable focusing on a different topic such as A) best tips to get promoted, B) how to transition fields, C) developing elevator pitch, D) overcoming imposter syndrome, and many more! The Focus Group Talk will provide a platform for you to share your experiences and ideas, and to learn from each other. 

As a Focus Group Leader, you will be providing a 5-minute pitch about a professional development lesson learned from your career journey, and helping facilitate a discussion or mini-workshop in a small-group setting. Your objective is to encourage participation and ensure that the discussions are productive and informative. At the end of the Focus Group Talk, participants will leave with a better understanding of the topics discussed, as well as practical strategies that they can implement in their own lives to achieve their goals.

The “Career Flash Talk” is an avenue for you to share your leadership experiences or professional skills to inspire other participants through a 5-minute presentation. Through this avenue, presenters are to share their lessons or skills learned from their leadership or work experiences in industry or academia, focusing on the theme of “Next Step to Professional Growth.” In those five minutes, the goal of presenters is to deliver an impactful presentation and help audiences to learn about how to advance professional growth in their career. 

Presenters can prepare simple PowerPoint slides and will be given 5 minutes to present and answer questions from the audience. We encourage you to deliver your talks in a way that will engage audiences from diverse backgrounds.

The “Panel Discussion” will take place in multiple breakout rooms with the following tentative themes: 1) Opportunities and Challenges in Healthcare and Medicine; 2) Diverse Career Trajectories in Engineering and Tech; 3) Important, yet Overlooked Aspects in Academic Job Searching. A trained moderator will be present in each room to facilitate the discussion.

The Panel Discussion will be a great opportunity to have an in-depth discussion with other panelists in similar career fields with distinct experiences, ideas and mindsets. Upon acceptance, each panelist will be asked to provide a 5-minute informational talk and minimum of 3 questions that would be suitable for the moderator to use as discussion topics.

The “Poster Presentation” session is an excellent opportunity for you to comfortably showcase a topic of your choice with a visual aid. Throughout this session, you will be expected to be present with your poster at all times to engage with the audiences that visit your poster. For this participation avenue, you will be responsible for preparing, bringing, and setting up your poster with guidance from the FIRE organizers (more information will be sent in the coming months for accepted poster presenters) . Additionally, you should prepare a 5-minute oral pitch to present your topic to those who visit your poster.

Various topics can be presented in the poster presentation session, including creative projects, career development strategies, professional skills, and personal interest. Consider the overarching theme of “Advancing Careers through Exchanging Insights” when selecting your topic (click here for an example of a professional development poster). The poster presentation session will provide an interactive and dynamic participation avenue that encourages participants to ask questions and engage in small discussions. 

*** NOTE: If you wish to present a technical poster in your field of expertise/research (e.g. e.g. cancer therapeutics in medicine, machine learning in computer science, battery science in chemistry, etc.), please apply to present your poster at the respective Technical Group Symposium (TGS) instead via the UKC website. Note that you can only apply to TGS OR FIRE, as the primary sessions run at the same time. You cannot switch between TGS and FIRE after applying. However, you may apply to TGS, present your technical poster during the UKC-wide poster session (Fri 7PM~), and attend FIRE sessions at other times (Thu/Fri 4-6PM, Sat 8-10AM). If you apply as a FIRE poster presenter, you must attend all FIRE sessions. 

There is a non-presenter option in our application, which does not require a presentation. However, you are still expected to be an active participant in discussions, icebreakers, Q&As, and all sessions at UKC. The non-presenter option has an increased registration fee, and no support for lodging, travel, nor meals. More details can be found on our Cost to Attend page.