Have you ever stopped to think how many types of academic events there are out there?
Or do you at least remember how many different kinds of events you have attended?
What happens is that because they belong to the same nature, which is academic, the events tend to have very similar characteristics.
And this ends up confusing many people.
So, it is quite normal to see people saying that they have attended a course, when in fact they have been to a workshop.
Or to see a seminar being treated as a congress, for example.
Esse desafio de classificar e distinguir os tipos de eventos atormenta participantes e também organizadores, sabia?
So, to organize an event with an experience that will be memorable for those involved it is necessary to determine well the type of event you intend to perform, first of all.
Therefore, in order for you to understand this matter once and for all, we have brought in this article 13 types of academic events and explained each one of them.
13 types of academic events
1. Congress
Congress is one of the most common types of events.
In it, the aim is to discuss and draw conclusions about a central theme.
“Congress is the meeting where experts deliberate on issues of common interest or present studies, new findings, etc.”
Congress features:
- It is a formal event
- It has periodicity
- It is a highly complex event
- It has its own regulation and by-laws
In general, a congress is promoted by associations and is attended by professionals and specialists who have a common interest and work in the same area.
Congresses can be regional, national, and international.
And, within the same congress, several types of activities can occur, such as:
Round tables, conferences, symposia, lectures, commissions, panels and courses are some of them.
2. Meeting
This event aims to discuss what is happening in that field and highlight what needs to be improved, proposing solutions.
“It is the gathering of people or experts to discuss a certain topic”
In an academic meeting, people from the same professional category debate relevant, current, and controversial issues in that area.
Therefore, the topics covered in a meeting will serve as a basis for a change of action in that specific field.
While congressess are usually more wide-ranging, meetings are more focused on a single professional category.
Also, to expand your network, it is important to encourage networking at your event!
3. Seminar
The seminar is an oral event, and one that needs the presence of a mediator (speaker) to exist.
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a seminar is defined by a group of advanced students studying under a professor with each doing original research and all exchanging results through reports and discussion.
In other words, it works like a debate, in which the goal is to know all the aspects and all the variables of a topic.
And, unlike a meeting, in the seminar, you only discuss the situation, you don’t make decisions about it.
The central topic is discussed by two or more exhibitors.
Thus, the debate is not centered on the opinion of a single person.
This enables a broader exchange of experiences, as different points of view can be shared with the audience.
The difference between a seminar and a lecture is the range of the subject. In the lecture, the discussed subject is seen only from one angle and by one speaker.
In seminars, it is usual for attendees to have prior knowledge of the subject.
Generally the session is divided into three parts: exposition phase, discussion phase, conclusion phase.
4. Round Table
Round tables are usually part of the schedule for larger events, such as congresses.
This type of event aims to promote debate and raise questions about a subject.
For this reason, the subject matter is usually controversial and of public interest.
At the round table, audience participation is very active. People are urged to defend points of view and ask questions to the experts.
In consequence, the presence of someone to coordinate the action is fundamental, so that the order of the event is ensured.
This coordinator, who can also be called the chairman of the table, acts as a moderator.
Therefore, they are responsible for guiding the discussion to keep it on the main theme.
Generally round tables bring together experts in the area to be discussed.
In addition to presenting their point of view on the topic, they usually have to deal with a time limit for presentation.
In this format the aim is providing the audience with a global vision that stimulates reasoning and creates consensus on the topic under discussion.
There may be a Q&A session, from one attendee to another or from the audience.
But the common thing is that the questions are directed to the components of the table.
5. Symposium
A symposium consists of a initiative gathering of a given scientific community around a specific subject with the intention to add results and considerations in order to promote advancement toward its clarification.
In other words, a symposium brings together researchers who aim to study and discuss a given topic in order to reach further conclusions about it.
In it, the exchange of information (knowledge and experience) takes place, aiming at decision making.
Like congresses, it is one of the types of events that require complex organization.
A symposium can contain several conferences and have several parallel exhibits.
These exhibitors will present the research they are doing in that core study area of the symposium.
6. Panel
The panel is a type of event that derives from the round table.
However, in this modality, the experts, who are usually very well known, debate the subject and the public participates only as spectators.
7. Forum
The main feature of the forum is audience participation.
Therefore, it aims to debate an idea freely.
It is the kind of event for people who like to talk and want to hear different perspectives on a topic.
In addition, the active participation of the audience is essential, and the audience is usually sensitized and motivated towards the discussion.
8. Conference
It is a more formal event, which brings together experts to discuss a specific topic.
At conferences, it is common to exist a chairperson, who acts as a moderator.
The conference usually receives a specific audience that shows familiarity with the subject matter.
That is why it is very common for congresses to have opening and closing conferences.
In this type of event, the audience can formulate questions, in writing, that will be addressed to the table.
Unlike round tables, in which the audience has the right to speak, in conferences the questions are usually filtered by the moderator, who, in turn, has to choose the most relevant ones.
9. Academic Journey
These are meetings of close, regional professional groups that periodically discuss issues of interest to the group.
The conclusions can set guidelines for group work and for professions.
Journeys can last several days, this depends on the complexity and size of the event.
10. Courses
They consist in detailing a certain subject or set of subjects in order to “train” or “teach how to”.
A course is made up of presentations of people, whose background is usually academic, who try to pass on their knowledge to the attendees.
The aim of the event is more theoretical than practical, but it does not invalidate the practice. It is suitable for people who have little or no knowledge about the subject.
With the exception of specialization courses, which have the objective of improving the knowledge of those who already master the subject.
Nowadays many courses take place online and therefore reach a larger number of people.
11. Colloquium
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary:
“Colloquium [From Latin colloquiu.] : a usually academic meeting at which specialists deliver addresses on a topic or on related topics and then answer questions relating to them.” Reunião de pessoas gabaritadas, em que se debate determinado assunto.”
This type of academic event promotes a space for conversation among several people to discuss a specific, selected and delimited topic.
For this reason, presentations of scientific papers usually take place at the colloquia.
And, in a colloquium, the topic must be well structured because its main purpose is exposition or debate.
They can be presented in several ways: as an exhibition, where one person faces the audience; or as a table, where everyone debates at the same time.
12. Academic Week
In academic events, the “week” aims to provide greater integration among attendees, and is characterized by the offer of a wide range of activities (forums, panels, mini-courses, etc.).
In other words, it is a gathering of people belonging to a professional category that aims to discuss issues of common interest.
The schedule can vary according to the institution and also to the event coordinators.
13. Workshop
A workshop is a class that deals with specific subjects. For this reason, it relies on experts to guide the theme and the activities.
A key feature of the workshop is that the topics are approached in a much more practical way than in a theoretical way.
So the workshop fulfills its role when the students actually walk away from it putting into practice everything they have learned.
And how do I organize my academic events?
You can start planning your event right now. Everything quickly, easily, and free of charge.
To do so, simply create an event on Even3!
With just a few clicks, you can generate an online page for your event and open registration for attendees.
Moreover, with Even3, you can have access to all the stages and activities of your event in a single place: from registration to the issuing of certificates.