Students from across Keele University have presented their work for a virtual undergraduate research conference - marking the first time that the event has been hosted online.

The JADE Student Learning Undergraduate Conference (JSLUG) is jointly arranged by the Institute of Liberal Arts and Sciences (ILAS) and the Keele Institute for Innovation and Teaching Excellence (KIITE).

Now in its fifth year, JSLUG's mission is to provide a unique opportunity for undergraduate students to gain first-hand experience of presenting at an academic conference. Students can submit abstracts for a 20-minute oral presentation, a 5-minute lightning talk or a poster presentation.

This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, JSLUG couldn't take place in its usual format. However, to celebrate the hard work put in by both students and staff, and create a lasting legacy of the work of talented Keele students, several students have created video presentations and their work has been hosted online in a conference showcase.

The JSLUG 2020 Conference web pages contain the abstracts, narrated presentations (video format) and posters from undergraduate students who were accepted to present at the conference at Keele University this year.

Dr Chris Little, organiser of the conference and Learning Developer with the Keele Institute for Innovation and Teaching Excellence (KIITE) commented:

"I'm delighted that we've been able to bring some form of JSLUG to the staff and students of Keele this year. The Covid-19 situation is unprecedented but, as you will see, so is the determination and quality of our students. They have adapted their work to an online presentation with little difficulty and produced some brilliant sessions. This virtual showcase will stand as an example of the resilience and academic quality of some of our students and I'm really proud of what these students have produced.

“Many students who were due to present this year have chosen to defer their presentations to next year and will be bringing their fantastic presentations to a re-imagined undergraduate conference in 2021, which will continue to showcase the brilliance of our students."

You can show your support for all of the student presenters by watching their presentations on the conference website.