The 2024 SETU Postgraduate Research Conference was held at our Cork Road Campus in Waterford on Tuesday, 5 June 2024.
The event was a celebratory coming-together of postgraduate researchers, lecturers, project supervisors, and staff from various departments across SETU. Organised by the postgraduate community and the SETU Graduate Studies office, the event showcased the projects of over 80 postgraduates.
In opening the event, Professor Veronica Campbell, SETU President, spoke about the diversity of research on display at the conference, and the importance of research in solving societal, environmental and digital challenges, while highlighting that the SETU strategic plan places the fostering of research and its research culture at the core of its ambition. Prof. Campbell also stressed the importance of networking, particularly for researchers, whose work can be isolating. Networking provides opportunities for social engagement, while also contributing to collaboration within and across research disciplines. She urged researchers to continue with their important work and take full advantage of the supports available here at SETU.
Fostering participation and inclusion
The schools/departments represented on the day included computing, engineering, science, sport and health sciences, environmental science, humanities, business, art, and social sciences. Participation was encouraged from across the student body and included first year students, as well as students at a more advanced stage of their research. A key consideration for the conference organisers was fostering of participation and inclusion from the entire cohort.
There were over 30 oral presentations delivered by postgraduates at the conference, as well as a further 30 poster presentations.
The award winners on the day were as follows:
Abstract winners
- Session 1, Barry O' Sullivan
- Session 2, Lola Givet
- Session 3, Samirah Blaauw
- Session 4, Sylwia O'Rourke
- Session 5, Nicola Briggs
- Session 6, Syed Rizvi
Poster presentation winners
- Poster winner, Bahram Choupanzadeh
- 2nd Place, Stephen Foster
- 3rd Place, Syeda Tajammal
Photo credits: George Goulding and Vinny Flynn, SETU.