• Charles Sturt’s Faculty of Science and Health hosts the HDR and Honours Research Symposium in Wagga Wagga

Charles Sturt University Higher Degree Research (HDR) and Honours students will showcase their research as big ideas take centre stage in Wagga Wagga.

HDR and Honours students from the Charles Sturt Faculty of Science and Health (FOSH) will participate in the symposium, to be held on Tuesday 5 and Wednesday 6 December.

The symposium has been running for more than 10 years and Charles Sturt University Sub Dean (Graduate Studies) Associate Professor Sandra Savocchia has been co-ordinating it since 2017.

Since then, more than 1,000 students and their supervisors have participated. The symposium is held in Wagga Wagga to accommodate large numbers of people in the Convention Centre. It was held online in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic.

Professor Savocchia said students cover a diverse range of real-world issues in their research projects.

“There is an extraordinary variety of research being undertaken within our faculty,” she said.

“Our research investigates fundamental human needs, such as food and water, through to the health of humans, animals and the environment.

“It is exciting to be able to present a symposium that offers such a diversity of research.”

Professor Savocchia said the symposium aligns with the University’s Higher Education Standards Framework of providing students an opportunity to contribute to the intellectual climate of the University.

She said it provides benefits for all involved, from students presenting work to their peers, for staff to meet students, and supervisors with students studying online to meet in person.

The symposium allows students to view their research in a broader sense and provides them the opportunity to develop and improve their presentation skills.

“As there are attendees from a wide range of disciplines, it provides students with the opportunity to present to a wider audience,” Professor Savocchia said.

“It also provides them an opportunity to engage and network with other researchers and academic staff.”

Prizes are awarded for the best HDR student presentation, the best Honours presentation and the best poster presentation.

Students will give presentations over four sessions on Tuesday 5 December and browse market stalls from vendors who support the research.

On Wednesday 6 December, students will attend a workshop, titled ‘Exploring Your Research Identity’, with FOSH Associate Dean (Research) and Acting Head of the Charles Sturt School of Nursing, Paramedicine and Healthcare Sciences Professor Julian Grant.

The workshop will allow them to develop and consider their research identity, encourage professional development and think about the transferable skills they will acquire during their degree.