September 17 2024
After the dust has settled on what has been another successful running of the AAPS CDT Annual Conference, we wanted to take the time to reflect on the two days it took place on in July, what we learned, where the industry can be taken to promote a more sustainable future, and why we are so proud of everyone that came and took part.
Getting the conference off the ground this year took the collective effort of the committee, as well as numerous others. During the planning of the conference we were able to build strong links with new partners, as well as maintaining previously-held relationships. If it were not for the financial and logistical support from our external sponsors, this year’s conference would not have run nearly as smoothly as it did!
In addition, students and other attendees were able to interact with some of our partners in the form of our sponsorship stands dotted around the atrium during the two days. Through these stands, our sponsors were able to demonstrate their business and what they do best, in addition to creating valuable dialogue between them and our attendees. We’d like to take this moment to thank our sponsors for this year’s conference:
As this conference is made to showcase our PhD students, as well as run by them, we get the unique opportunity to see a snapshot of the engaging and quality research that is being produced by all the cohorts in our community. The content delivered in presentations stretched across the academic spectrum, demonstrating the need to tackle these issues from a transdisciplinary perspective, but also the depth in which the field can go into. Engagement was high, with our Q&A sessions underlining each talk with a wide array of questions trying to understand their research from an outsider’s perspective. A personal favourite were the lightning talks, two 45-minute sessions where a group of presenters speak for three minutes before passing the baton on, like a relay race. It was a real joy to see both the presenters try and condense all their information into a bitesize package, as well as seeing our audience of over 100 be fully engaged!
Finally, each of our seven themes were headlined by our guest speakers, who took the time out of their frantic calendars to attend and deliver the work they’re doing in both academia as well as in the public and private sectors. The talks ranging from policy change, to propulsion, to behaviour change, to batteries, all helped to summarise and underpin the necessity and desire for their fields and aided in introducing our audience to the theme for our student speakers.
We’d also like to take this moment to thank each of our guest and keynote speakers:
During the two days of the conference, both our students, industry partners and sponsors, and other attendees had plenty of time to get to know each other and share ideas and opportunities with each other. One of them was during our poster session - where fifteen of our AAPS CDT students, instead of delivering a talk, took on the task of best representing their research visually. For around an hour, our attendees flowed through our posters, speaking to the creator and to each other on the subjects on display, which ranged from artificial intelligence to electric propulsion, to behaviour change. This was a relaxed, yet valuable session for all, with great feedback from students and attendees.
As is tradition with our conferences, we want to reward those who have gone the extra mile and presented or shown research in innovative and captivating ways that emphasises what it means to be part of the AAPS CDT. Here are this year’s prize winners, supported by Ziroth:
Overall, this year’s AAPS CDT Annual Conference has been a roaring success. Those who took part fedback to us that they have learned valuable skills to take with them during their academic careers, made connections and relationships to other academics and industrial partners, and found they could present their work in an inclusive and supportive manner. We feel confident that this will act as a stepping stone for next year’s conference to further innovate and take the conference experience to new levels, and we cannot wait to see that come to life!
Look forward to seeing you next year!
- Josh, Lucia, Chloe, Sam, Cosmin, Julian, and Gengqian
The AAPS CDT Annual Conference 2024 Planning Committee
26 November 2024
08 September 2024
© Copyright 2024 AAPS CDT, Centre for Doctoral Training in Advanced Automotive Propulsion Systems at the University of Bath
