Three conferences organised by teams at the University of Aberdeen have been recognised for their excellence and the impact they have made to the local economy at a local awards ceremony.
The teams behind the European Conference on Visual Perception, the 10th International Symposium on Environmental Hydraulics and the International Higher Education Teaching and Learning Association took home five awards between them at the Aberdeen Convention Bureau (ACB) awards evening.
Dr Gerald Lip, Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer at the University of Aberdeen, was also presented with the James Clerk Maxwell Ambassador of Excellence Award, marking the first time it was awarded to an academic.
The European Conference on Visual Perception (ECVP), organised by a team from the School of Psychology, took home the accolades for Best Event over 500 Delegates and the Impact Award, while co-organiser Dr Danai Papadaki received the Developing Ambassador Award.
The ECVP, which took place in August this year, provided a forum for presenting and discussing new developments in the disciplines of Psychology, Neuroscience and Cognitive Sciences, related to the scientific study of visual perception. This year’s event involved a series of tutorials, poster sessions and lectures on the extensive field of visual perception.
The 10th International Symposium on Environmental Hydraulics (ISEH), delivered by the CPD and Event Services team, secured the ACB award for Best Event Under 200 Delegates.
The ISEH, held at the Old Aberdeen campus in June this year, welcomed over 150 participants from 26 countries and covered a packed programme with 114 oral and 15 poster presentations relating to the symposium’s theme ‘environmental hydraulics for a sustainable and resilient future’.
The International Higher Education Teaching and Learning Association (HETL) Conference, led by Professor Amudha Poobalan, won Best Event between 200 and 500 Delegates.
The HETL Conference took place in June 2023 and brought together Higher Education professionals and students from across the world to provide a platform for discussion, debate, networking and collaboration on all aspects of teaching and learning in HE.
The ACB awards evening, which took place at the Music Hall on 28 November, recognised the efforts of the city’s academics to bring 77 conferences and association events worth £52m to the regional economy during 2023 and 2024.
Professor Peter Edwards, Vice-Principal for Regional Engagement at the University of Aberdeen, said: “The world-class research and innovation being undertaken by academics across a wide spectrum of disciplines makes Aberdeen an attractive proposition for technical and sector-based conferences and events. Attracting major conferences to the region is one of the many ways in which we support the economy of the North-east, while also raising the international profile of our academics and their research.”