The 14th annual BEAR Conference, a vibrant event organised by postgraduates for postgraduates, took place on 22 May 2025 at the Alan Walters Building—and what a fantastic day it was! With 55 attendees, the conference was packed with insightful talks, lively discussions, and a strong sense of community.
Dietmar Heinke, Chair of the BEAR User Group, kicked off the day by welcoming attendees—each receiving a Lenovo goody bag—and introducing our first keynote speaker, Dr. Xilin Xia, who delivered a compelling talk on “Development and Application of Computational Models for Natural Hazards and Climate Risk Assessment.”
The day’s schedule featured a dynamic mix of long and short talks, covering topics as diverse as butterfly swarms and programming tomatoes for resilience. After a delicious lunch sponsored by Lenovo, attendees had the chance to explore an impressive array of research posters.
Our second keynote speaker, Dr. Loïc Lannelongue from the University of Cambridge, presented “Green Algorithms, Green DiSC and GREENER Principles: Making Computational Science More Environmentally Sustainable.” His talk sparked a lively Q&A session, highlighting the audience’s enthusiasm for sustainable computing.
The afternoon continued with more engaging presentations (see the Bluesky posts here), culminating in the announcement of the conference awards:
- 🏆 Best Poster: Oskar Soulas
- 🏆 Best Talk: Zhuangchen Wu
Here’s what some of the committee members had to say about their experience:
Aaron (Secretary)
“Being part of the organising committee gave me the chance to work in an interdisciplinary team and develop skills beyond my usual PGR work. It was rewarding to help bring the BEAR community together.”
Simone
“It was a fantastic experience that taught me how much goes into planning a conference—from inviting speakers to solving unexpected issues. Definitely something every PGR should try at least once!”
Margarita
“Working with fellow PGRs and university staff was both fun and fulfilling. I’d encourage others to get involved—it’s a great way to build skills and contribute to the university community.”
Hibah
“This experience strengthened my teamwork and organisational skills. It was inspiring to see the diverse ways BEAR resources are used across disciplines.”
Ni
“From designing the first poster to managing communications, every detail mattered. Persistence and passion were key to making academic ideas visible.”
Poppy (Chair)
“It was a pleasure to work with such a dedicated team. I learned so much about what goes into organising an academic event and would highly recommend it to others.”
Nina
“Organising the advertising campaign was a unique opportunity to step outside the lab and apply new skills. The presenters were incredibly inspiring and gave me ideas for my own future talks.”
📸 Pictured above: Members of the organising committee (left to right):
Ni Yang, Simone Ausilio, Hibah Saddal, Dietmar Heinke, Charlie Reynolds (Honorary Member), Brandon Ingram, Poppy Aves (Chair), Aaron Wiggin (Secretary)
Interested in joining next year’s organising committee?
Email Dietmar Heinke to get involved!