Workshops of Scientific Presentation Techniques, or Attractive Conventicles Camp OAK (pol. Obóz Atrakcyjnych Konwentykli,) are off-side meetings devoted to polishing the ways of transferring knowledge and presenting research results. The event has a 17-year tradition, and was first organised in January 1999 by Naturalist Student Interest Group at the Jagiellonian University. Since then the workshops have been organised together with other academic institutions, such as the Univestity of Łódź, the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, the University of Warsaw, or the University of Białystok.
This year’s 26th edition is organised by three institutions: Cultural Biotechnology Project (University of Gdańsk), Mycological-Algaeological Section of the Biology Student Interest Group (University of Łódź) and the Warsaw Society of Biotechnology “Symbioza”.
The workshops are unique thanks to its form – not only are they a conference, but also a platform for improving the skills of preparing and showing presentations and posters. The basic part of OAK consists of participants’ speeches in Polish or English with a multimedia presentation prepared beforehand. After each performance there follows a discussion of the content, just like at a professional conference. The seminars are recorded, and subsequently analysed by the participants and experts during critical sessions, with regard to the technical part, i.e. the quality of slides and the manner of presenting. Playing the recordings back makes it possible to comment on the elements that should be improved. This way, the participants learn by their own mistakes, and by countless examples during others’ presentations.
Also a poster session is held, where every poster is individually discussed in terms of content and form.
Apart from testing themselves by presenting their own research, the participants gain immensely valuable knowledge and skills during presentation workshops provided by the experts. Another, equally important part of OAK are physical, sightseeing, and integration activities. The friendly atmosphere throughout the event accelerates acquisition of knowledge. Moreover, new conference experiences and success achieved thanks to the gained skills make the participants eagerly come back for next editions of OAK.
More information and registration are available on the Project website (in Polish)