Every year almost every society or association of science professionals organize an annual conference with an important and relevant theme. As a result, we have around 20-30 annual conferences of scientists in our country every year. How effective are these conferences? How influential are they? Do we see the visible impact of those conferences? It is difficult to mention because we don’t have any tools to measure the impact of those conferences in our national life. Few of the conferences might impact our publication number as the conference proceedings are published acceptably. Otherwise, these conferences hardly have an impact on our national scientific advancement because we are where we were in science and technology over many years.
However, these conference organizers should think about how they could increase impact and influence our policy makers positively for the scientific advancement of the country. From these conferences, there should have demand for the policymakers to increase the allocation of money for research and development and other policy matters. One more thing that can help in the scientific advancement of the country is guiding our fresh graduates in their higher study and early career researchers in their career progression. All the conferences bring together bright and successful academics and researchers in the respective field. If a panel is formed from them and they give advice and share their experiences about the higher study and career pathway, that would help fresh graduates to do the higher study on the right topic, with the right supervisor in a right institute for his/her topic of interest. Early career researchers will also be immensely benefitted in finding the right topic, right supervisor and right institute. With the increase of our fresh graduates and early career researchers with the right topic, a right supervisor in the right research organizations/institutes, we will also advance in science and technology.
At present status, a large number of our fresh graduates and early career researchers are not in the right path due to lack of proper guidance and mentoring. As a result, we are loosing huge potential in every subject or branch of sciences. If we can improve the guiding using the conferences that will reduce the wastage of brain and potential of our young scientists.
So organizers of the scientific conference can think to accommodate a one hour or longer session for higher study and career advice session in their day’s long conferences. Apparently, this small inclusion and accommodation will have a huge impact in the scientific arena of the country as it will show the right path for higher study and career progression to a large number of fresh graduates and early career researcher. Such inclusion will also motivate the fresher to attend the conference and conference will be full of life. Hope the organizers will think over the proposal.
