The ACM Special Interest Group on Information Retrieval introduced a new means to connect and stay connected with our student population: Student Liaisons.
Our mission as Student Liaisons for SIGIR is to provide students with the best possible conditions to thrive. To make sure that we listen to critiques and sensitive subjects as well as suggestions for improvement from the student body. The Student Liaisons are the Go-To point for student participants in their geographic region.
SIGIR conferences are meeting places for information retrieval researchers to talk and build new connections. Building a professional network is one of the key criteria for a successful career in information academia and industry. Student Liaisons are here ensure that student attendees "in the corners" are introduced and tightly knit into our community, enacting the "no student left behind" mission. Student Liaisons also work with the ACM SIGIR Student Affairs Chair to design social student events and luncheons, and identify other opportunities for student engagement.
The first group of Student Liasions were introduced at the ACM SIGIR conference in Tokyo, Japan 2017 with new additional liaisons introduced at the ACM SIGIR conference in Ann Arbor, USA 2018.