The 2024 International School and Conference on Network Science (NetSci2024) has been hosted in Québec City from June 16th to 21st 2024, at the Québec City Convention Centre. Thanks to the collaboration between NetPLACE together with the local organizers (amazingly coordinated by Jérémi Lesage) and SYNS, the Society of Young Network Scientists, we have organised various social activities to help students and early-career researchers to meet together and have informal conversations not only among themselves, but also with the senior members of the community. To make the most of our time together, we have organized a series of social activities designed to help young scientists in the field of network science connect, break the ice, and build lasting professional relationships. These events were not part of the official conference program, but we hope to have added a layer of fun and camaraderie to the week.
The hospitality was amazing, not even the time to settle in and we were already on Sunday evening at the pub La Ninkasi, a local resto-bar. Time to get back with old friends and to make new ones, cheers! Guess what we did the other nights…
On Monday, after the first day of the conference, we grabbed some food and headed to the Parc des Champs-de-Bataille(Battlefields Park) for a relaxed walk and picnic. What a view and what a great guide was Jérémi! A great opportunity to chat and enjoy the beautiful surroundings. Thank you!
Here we are again, same place, same time, but many more people! Big thanks to Laurent Hébert-Dufresne, special speaker of our Paper Unwind session at La Ninkasi on Tuesday evening! In the tradition of SYNS activities, at Paper Unwinds a researcher gives a 20-minute talk where you’ll hear the fascinating tale behind some well-known paper in network science, all while enjoying delicious drinks and food. In essence, we asked Laurent to tell us what really happened before the paper was published—the story behind the story. Network Science students often need help crafting better expectations about how publishing interdisciplinary research actually works, and this event caters directly to that.
On Thursday lunch break, we also organized a Professional Development Workshop, hosted by Evelyn Panagakou. This workshop was tailored for young network scientists focusing on professional development. The aim of this workshop was to provide valuable tips and guidance to help the students and early-career researchers advance in their career and make the most of their opportunities in the field. That same evening we had a really nice social dinner as well!
Thank you all for joining our activities, see you next year!