If you’ve been following our blogs, emails and taken a look round the website you’ll be familiar with some great reasons to apply for OpenCon. Namely,
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an excellent program of keynotes, panels, workshops and unconferences;
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the opportunity to connect with the best and brightest peers from around the world;
-
time connect with global leaders; and,
-
if selected, we’ll cover your costs to attend.
If you’ve been following our blogs, emails and taken a look round the website you’ll be familiar with some great reasons to apply for OpenCon. Namely,
-
an excellent program of keynotes, panels, workshops and unconferences;
-
the opportunity to connect with the best and brightest peers from around the world;
-
time connect with global leaders; and,
-
if selected, we’ll cover your costs to attend.
But last week, we decided to ask the OpenCon 2014 alumni what they thought the best reasons to apply were.
Here is what they said:
Apply because you care about Open Access, Open Education and Open Data, and you want to be part of the revolution. It’s an intense three days: you’ll have a lot of fun, meet amazing people, be inspired, find collaborators, and get a fresh wardrobe. It’s probably the best conference ever, and that’s just the beginning... it might just change your career. So what are you waiting for?
1) Apply because you care about Open Access, Open Education and Open Data
If you care _at all_ about the future of research & you're an early career researcher - you should DEFINITELY come to @open_con next year
— Ross Mounce (@rmounce) November 18, 2014
2) and you want to be part of the revolution
“... we just marked a revolutionary point in making the fundamental right to research a reality.” - Laura
"OpenCon 2014 was the Best and Most Important Meeting of My Life; the Revolution is launched" - Peter Murray Rust
3) It’s an intense three days:
“There's no apathy in this room. It's jam-packed with idealistic, clever, and deeply committed young people energetically working to transform science and academic life” - Hilda
We take that energy to policy makers on the final day, but don't leave anything other than your information packet behind. "OpenCon is a wild ride, hang onto your scarfs" - Karin
You should apply mostly to see me cry again. I cried at the closing dinner last year, I wasn’t even that drunk, promise... it was like Dawson from Dawson’s Creek - David
4) you’ll have a lot of fun,
“All I saw at OpenCon were happy, energetic, smiling faces. It was great to be part of that, and makes me confident that what we’re all doing is right.” - Jon
"What OpenCon might not give you a lot of is sleep. But it most definitely will be an amazing time." - Georgina
Some participant projects aren't always related to the conferences issues...
"Great beards! http://beardsofopencon.tumblr.com/" - Sarah
5) meet amazing people,
Everyone I met at #opencon2014 is doing such amazing things, but the humanities cohort was especially inspiring #opencon2014hums
— Matt Menzenski (@menzenski) November 18, 2014
What I see at @open_con is a combination of experience, and raw enthusiasm and creativity. A well-chosen audience :) #opencon2014
— Jon Tennant (@Protohedgehog) November 15, 2014
"Amazing people!! Amazing environment!! Amazing sessions!!" - Meggie
"Fantastic people gathered together with incredible energy for important work. The people are welcoming and as open as the access they promote. ;) " - Heather
"You will meet people face to face for the first time that you've heard of, admired, tweeted, seen in a webcast, emailed, campaigned with and even worked closely with on projects. It's seriously exciting putting names to twitter handles, faces to names and bodies to faces (my suspicion that pretty much everyone I work with is taller than me was confirmed) and shaking hands and introducing yourself to the people who inspire your work. And I guarantee that every single one of them from fellow delegates to speakers will be happy to hear who you are, what you're doing and take the time to talk." - Georgina
“OpenCon was inspiring and moving” - Lorraine
“Opens you to a world of innovation and possibilities” - Meggie
7) find collaborators,
"You should apply to OpenCon because it's just so great to be in a room with people who just *get it* and with whom you can instantly collaborate, rather than wasting all that activist energy on trying to make people care before you can do anything. It's also a space where it's okay not to be "the norm" and people try really hard to meet your access needs, make sure everyone who wants to gets a turn to speak and all ideas can be heard. That should be the case at all conferences and events, but it rarely is. Mostly people just pay lip service to that idea." - Penny
For three days, I was surrounded by pioneers of the open movement, ambitious graduate students and innovative post-docs, all bursting with ideas about how science could be better - Lorraine
"Connect, create and collaborate with inspirational people from around the world. A great opportunity to develop your understanding of how open access, open data and open education intersect and how we can better work together to promote openness… during the conference and beyond!" - Beck
8) and get a fresh wardrobe.
People should apply to #opencon for the free t-shirts. Lots of free t-shirt ! @open_con pic.twitter.com/tmRA4HuCmz
— Emilie Champagne (@MissEmilieC) June 5, 2015
"...your laptop will never be the same again. Stickering your computer with ALL the Open things is practically a competitive sport." - Georgina
"OpenCon will make you more a more cape-able Open Access advocate" - Juan
9) It’s probably the best conference ever
#opencon2014 is the most amazing thing I've ever a been part of. Literally a life-changing weekend.
— Matt Menzenski (@menzenski) November 18, 2014
"OpenCon... was certainly the best conference I’ve ever been to." - David
Shucks. Gotta board the plane now. So long D.C. -- @open_con was the best conference I've ever been to #opencon2014
— Ross Mounce (@rmounce) November 18, 2014
“OpenCon 2014 was the best conference I have ever been to. The presentations, speeches, and workshops as well as all the connections I made at OpenCon educated me about the exciting developments occurring not only in Open Educational Resources, but Open Access and Open Data as well. I left informed and inspired to continue on as an open advocate. Full of word class attendees, organizers, and presenters, OpenCon was a once in a life time opportunity that I will never forget.” - Chardaye
#Opencon2015, the best conference I've ever attend, is coming to Europe. Apply for it @open_con web site. https://t.co/HjcR6Vuj2L
— Ivo Neto (@ivocamposneto) June 9, 2015
10) and that's just the beginning...
OpenCon doesn't end when you go home, through satellite events, webcasts, calls, and the discussion list the community works year round to fight for change.
Back home in Hong Kong after 2 days of sharing at opencon2014.. it all begins now! #opencon2014
— Aloysius Wilfred Raj (@Aloysiuswilfred) November 18, 2014
“OpenCon was the most energetic and intellectually stimulating conference I have attended. Meeting people so immersed in Open Access, Open Data and Open Education was inspiring and has since motivated myself and Martin Bentley to start Open Access South Africa: A Student Network. I am honoured to be a part of a community so fully committed to access to education and research across the world.” - Uvania Naidoo
It's a packed house here at Imperial for #opencon2014 ... getting a bit toasty warm too! #openwindows pic.twitter.com/6q5nrmVvtc
— John Hammersley (@DrHammersley) November 26, 2014
“You should apply for OpenCon because meet you will meet the most incredible group of people, and have intense experiences with them—like going to war or touring with a band. But unlike most conferences, you don’t just get on a plane and leave that all behind, it continues and those experiences persist in the OpenCon Community, both online and offline.” - David
#openconcall @open_con #opengeneration that was flippin awesome. Renewed motivation and inspiration,I'm off to get on with those projects!
— Karin Purshouse (@KarinPurshouse) February 25, 2015
Always feel pretty pumped after an @open_con conference call...even though I come in desperately late. Great knowing you guys are out there!
— Uvania Naidoo (@uvanianaidoo) April 29, 2015
11) it might just change your career.
Applications open now for #OpenCon 2015 - it's a career changer of a conference, seriously. https://t.co/DdlDUZgkqr
— Karin Purshouse (@KarinPurshouse) June 1, 2015
So what are you waiting for?
Applications to attend #OpenCon are now open! Those accepted will receive full travel scholarships if needed! http://t.co/dwNwHVVHCr
— OpenCon (@open_con) June 1, 2015
We'd like to thank all the OpenCon 2014 alumni who contributed to this, sorry we couldn't include everything.
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