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| EDITORIAL |
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| Year : 2012 | Volume
: 3
| Issue : 3 | Page : 169 |
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Conferences: Is the academics taking a back seat?
K Rajkumar1, R Ramya2
1 Editor-in-Chief, SRM Journal of Research in Dental Sciences, Vice Principal, Professor and Head, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, SRM Dental College, Ramapuram, Chennai, India
2 Co-Editor, SRM Journal of Research in Dental Sciences, SRM Dental College, Ramapuram, Chennai, India
| Date of Web Publication | 19-Feb-2013 |
Correspondence Address:
K Rajkumar
Editor-in-Chief, SRM Journal of Research in Dental Sciences, Vice Principal, Professor and Head, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, SRM Dental College, Ramapuram, Chennai
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/0976-433X.107394
How to cite this article:
Rajkumar K, Ramya R. Conferences: Is the academics taking a back seat?
. SRM J Res Dent Sci 2012;3:169 |
Conferences that are supposed to be avenues for knowledge sharing and gaining have become events of entertainment and relaxation in the recent years. Be it PG conventions, midterm conferences or the main conference, organizers of the conferences think in terms of making the event pomp and grand in terms of accommodation, banquet, etc., rather than adding newer avenues in the scientific forum. Most of the budget sinks into these than knowledge sharing. The scientific sessions clearly take a back seat as most of the participants want to make the best of the entertaining events rather than attending a scientific session. It is pathetic to note that most of the sessions run with near empty halls with very few people associated with the speaker attending them.
In order to really make conferences meaningful, organizers have to make attendance to scientific sessions compulsory. This can be done by issuing an electronic card which has to be swiped on entry and exit. The time spent in the scientific sessions should be considered before the participation certificate is issued. Although this will require extra effort by the organizers, it will help inculcate knowledge and will open up a newer trend in how such events are to be organized.
Keeping in mind how most of us have started thinking of conferences as an annual holiday more than the interest to participate in an academic event, organizers can make it clear that sight-seeing events can be organized on days after the main conference is over without compromising on the scientific activities.
The registration fees for conferences have skyrocketed during the recent years. This price rice is mainly because of the urge to outdo the organizing group of the previous year in terms of pomposity. This has also set the trend to conduct conferences outside the country. The example set by the Indian Prosthodontic Society in organizing alcohol-free PG conventions and having a separate optional banquet fee for the conferences can be adhered to by other specialities also. As most of the specialities have three academic meets in a calendar year, events such as PG conventions can be organized inside the campus of the organizing institution. This will help in considerable reduction in overhead charges. Governing bodies of each Speciality can issue strict regulations to the organizing group about the total budget, registration fees and the scientific sessions thus ensuring enrichment of scientific knowledge in an academic forum.
Our journal is being published with M/s Medknow publishers from this issue. This is a significant leap ahead in our journey, as getting aboard with Medknow takes the journal to greater heights. Medknow publications has stringent regulations in selection of journals; we are proud to be a part of such internationally acclaimed publishers. We are happy to inform that we have bought out ten consecutive issues and our journal is one of the reputed choices for publication among researchers. At this juncture, we would like to thank Dr. R. Shivakumar, Chairman, SRM Trichy and Ramapuram campus for being highly supportive to bring out this journal. We also thank Dr. K. Ravi, Dean, SRM Dental College, Ramapuram, and other editorial board members who have strived hard to bring out this journal.
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