"A masterclass" on the diffusion of knowledge: Wolfson Research Event 2024

Student showing poster presentation to Senior Tutor

The Wolfson Research Event (WRE) is an interdisciplinary and student-led academic conference that showcases the diversity of the research carried out by Wolfson students.

A highlight of the College calendar, this year's WRE brought together students, staff, Fellows, alumni, and guests from beyond the Wolfson community for two days of oral and poster presentations. Topics ranged from the power dynamics associated with volcanic risk to post-conflict reconstruction, with themes and speakers from all areas of the world - a testament to a student body that represents 99 countries.

The annual event was the hard work of the WRE committee, chaired this year by George Han, a second-year PHD student in Medical Sciences (CIMR).

"Last week’s annual conference at Wolfson College was not just an average academic gathering," says George. "Over 70 attendees converged with a shared enthusiasm that could rival the fervor at a music festival, only instead of light sticks, there were laptops and clickers."

George, along with fourteen committee members - and with the help of Wolfson's Librarian Laura Jeffrey - started developing this year's WRE back in October.

"Through months of what can only be described as a delightful blend of chaos and camaraderie," says George, "not only did we foster a spirit of cooperation and communication, but we also cultivated lifelong friendships. As we marvelled at the sheer brilliance of our peers’ abstracts, I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of pride for Wolfson’s knack for nurturing potential."

"The committee are an exceptional group of people," says Laura. "They were dedicated to the success of the event from the outset and remained engaged throughout our 6-month journey together. They also epitomised the spirit of the event and encouraged one another not only with planning but also academically and pastorally."

George was eager to thank all those who participated in this year's WRE, highlighting the collaborative nature of this special event.

"We owe a big thank you to all our presenters, whose enlightening talks were nothing short of revelatory. Each speaker took to the stage not only with their slides and notes but with their insights about the big problems in our world. It’s not every day that one has the privilege of hosting such luminaries who can, with a single presentation, inspire academics from different disciplines to get excited and applaud. Wolfson College is a place where the pursuit of knowledge meets the pursuit of truth, and this conference was vibrant proof of that spirit."

Wolfson's President, Professor Jane Clarke, delivered the WRE's opening remarks on Thursday, and was blown away by calibre of presentations.

"As academics," says Jane, "it is through our research that we can contribute towards making the world a better place. This year we heard truly remarkable research stories: research across disciplines and across continents, carried out by teams and driven by scholars working alone. Our duty as researchers is to share it and to explain its importance to non-specialists, both to welcome critical discussion and, ultimately, to contribute to the advance of human knowledge and to the well-being of humankind. The Wolfson students at this event gave a masterclass on how this should be done."