The Early Mid-Career Academics (EMCA) Gathering, organised by the ECMA team with the support of Flinders Foundation, was a resounding success in achieving its goal of providing networking opportunities and facilitating the sharing of ideas among researchers and academics. The event (hosted on March 30) saw participation from around 30 attendees, who appreciated the chance to connect and collaborate with like-minded professionals.
Participants particularly enjoyed the dedicated time for networking activities, which allowed them to engage with fellow researchers and academics despite their busy schedules. Many attendees commented that this focus on networking was beneficial and improved their opportunities for collaboration.
Dr Mehrnaz Keyhanfar, a teaching specialist interested in research in education, highlighted that it was particularly exciting to get to know new people and get familiar with their research projects.
“My favourite experience was talking with one of the academics who was involved in evaluating the education for medical students considering the patient’s needs in the rural area, as a part of her research project.”
Dr Noralyn Manucat-Tan was delighted to reconnect with a former PhD student from 10 years ago, who is now part of the FHMRI family.
Overall, the EMCA Gathering was a successful event that provided valuable networking opportunities, fostered idea sharing, and facilitated collaborations among researchers and academics. The organising team is grateful for the support and participation of all attendees and looks forward to organising more such events in the future to foster a vibrant research community.