NYSF Speed-Meet, Session B, Thursday 16 January 2020
Date and time
Location
Advanced Engineering Building
Building 49, The University of Queensland Staff House Road ST LUCIA, QLD 4072 AustraliaDescription
Did you study a Science, Technology, Engineeing or Maths, (STEM) degree and are using those skills in the workplace? Are you working in a different area, or applying your studies in an unusual or non-traditional way? Whether you work in research, a science related field, or are using your skills in a completely different area - we want you to talk to students about your career pathway and how you got to where you are.
Each January, The National Youth Science Forum (NYSF) brings 600 Year 12 students together for three 11-day immersive science experiences. One of these Sessions is held in Brisbane and the other two in Canberra, each hosting 200 students. Students visit research labs and industry sites, hear from inspiring scientists and participate in skill development workshops.
A key part of the Year 12 Program is exposing students to the range of career paths available to those interested in STEM. As a part of this experience, we provide opportunities for students to connect with professionals and researchers in an informal "Speed-Meet" format.
During this event you will talk to a small group of students about your career path. The students might ask you questions about your study, fields of research, current role, how you got to where you are today, and where you might be heading. The focus will be on informal discussions where students feel comfortable asking questions. Students will rotate, so you'll have 7-8 conversations lasting 5-7 minutes (the exact split will depend on the number of participants). There will be several breaks in the session, during which you will have an opportunity for some light refreshments and informal conversations.
Both Canberra sessions will be held at the Australian National University. The Brisbane session will be held at the University of Queensland. You're welcome to come to multiple Speed-Meet events, and also to invite your colleagues to join. Please book a 'ticket' to this event, so we know how many people are attending and that we can do to ensure the appropriate amount of chairs and refreshments for each attendee.
Event dates and times:
Session A (ANU) – Thursday 9 Jan 2020, 10.30am – 11.45am
Session B (UQ) – Thursday 16 Jan 2020, 10.30am – 11.45am
Session C (ANU) – Thursday 23 Jan 2020, 10.30am – 11.45am
Following are some common queries we receive from potential speakers. If we haven’t answered your question below, please contact using the details at the bottom of the page.
Questions
Do I need to prepare anything beforehand?
No, there's no need to write a speech or similar; this is an informal event with a Q&A format, where students will be encouraged to ask you about your work and career choices. If you'd like to jot down some ideas, here are some examples of possible questions the students might ask:
- What did you do after Year 12? Why did you choose that degree/university/job?
- If I wanted to do what you do, what should I do after Year 12?
- What's the best part of your job? What's exciting about your research?
If you have any examples of your work or research please do bring them along - when we've run events like this in the past we've found that having something to "show and tell" can help break the ice and get students even more engaged.
Where should I park on campus?
January is usually a fiarly quiet time on bith the ANU and UQ sites, so parking shouldn't be too difficult. A map of visitor parking is available at https://www.pf.uq.edu.au/maps/parking/01StLuciaCellOPark.pdf.
See https://www.pf.uq.edu.au/parking/casual.html for further information on visitor parking at UQ.
Unfortunately the NYSF is not able to reimburse participants for parking or transport costs.
Can I update my registration information?
You can easily update the information you provide when you register through the Eventbrite system:
Can I invite my colleagues to participate as well?
Yes! If you have colleagues or friends who you think would be great to speak to these students, please send them the link to the registration page. All we ask is that all participants are currently working in the STEM field or studied STEM in the past, and are enthusiastic about sharing their experiences with young people.
We are particularly keen to get early career researchers and recent graduates involved in the sessions.
To help with orgainsing we do ask that everyone who attends does register beforehand online; if people we're not expecting come along on the day we might not be able to fit them in.
Any other questions?
Contact the National Youth Science Forum at programs@nysf.edu.au, or (02) 6125 2777.