YPN Conference in Cardiff

It was a huge pleasure working with WISE students. They presented clearly and concisely, and plainly understand how to make their research relevant to industry

Tracey Dunford – CIWEM

In May 2017 a team of WISE CDT students from Cardiff University helped organise a conference as part of an established project – the Cardiff Young Professionals Network, which is a subdivision of the International Association of Hydro-environment Engineering and Research (IAHR YPN). This year the ‘micro-presentation’ evening took place with the help of several high-profile figures from organisations in the water industry: Tracey Dunford (CIWEM), Gillian Steele (ICE Wales Graduates & Students) and the Institute of Water were all there. Not content with delivering the conference, WISE CDT students presented during the evening too.

The evening was a successful one, with 30 people from both industry and academia attending. There was a vast range of topics, including the areas of wastewater, sea level rises, weir removal and flood dynamics. ‘Micro-presentations’ at this event meant to stick closely to a 5 minute ‘elevator-pitch’ format – Dragon’s Den style. This made for a dynamic and dramatic evening. Although daunting for students, it was useful preparation for the world of work where this format has become increasingly popular.