The first training webinar of ECOP China (Early Career Ocean Professional Programme China Node), organized by the ECOP China training coordination team, was successfully held on May 29, 2024. Professor Yuan Shen, from the College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, shared his experience on the topic of “How to give an impressive oral presentation?”. The webinar was hosted by Dr. Yangyang Zhao, the ECOP China training coordinator. The webinar attracted over 560 early career professionals in the marine field from universities and institutions across China. It saw a peak of 274 simultaneous online attendees, including established professionals, undergraduates, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers.
The webinar started with an introduction to the ECOP Programme, followed by a skill-focused talk. Natalie Fox, the ECOP communication coordinator, kicked off the event by presenting the vision, mission, and current progress of the ECOP Programme. She highlighted that the ECOP network Programme aims to empower ECOPs with networking and professional development opportunities at the national, regional, and global levels through the framework of the UN Ocean Decade, promoting ocean sustainability for “The Ocean We Want”. Dr. Zhao then introduced the ECOP China node and the training plan for skills and capacity development. He also warmly invited young ocean experts and scientists to join the ECOP community and contribute to the growth of the next generation of ocean leaders.
In his talk, Professor Shen systematically elaborated key points and common misconceptions related to oral presentations, considering the perspectives of the audience, the presentation medium (i.e., PowerPoint presentations, PPT), and the speaker. He pointed out that the speaker should design the introduction, storyline and key messages of the presentation depending on the audience and the talk’s purpose. The PPT needs to convey the main points concisely, clearly and in a visually appealing manner. Taking an academic presentation of 12-15 minutes as an example, Prof. Shen clarified the key points and precautions for the outline and each component of the PPT, with a particular focus on thesis defense. He further provided tips and suggestions for avoiding pitfalls that the speaker may encounter, covering aspects such as mentality, attitude, communication, and handling interactive Q&A sessions. To be a confident and compelling speaker, one should adjust their attitude toward the presentation and value each oral report opportunity. Facing the audience and reducing catchphrases could help interact with the audience. Finally, Prof. Shen gave advice on PPT color schemes and practice for oral presentation. His sharing provided us with a comprehensive and in-depth guidance to academic talks.
During the following Q&A session, Prof. Shen answered questions from participants in a simple and easy-to-understand manner, covering topics such as the control of speech speed, precautions the be taken when synthesizing and reviewing presentations, and the arrangement of key points and details in the results. These interactive discussions addressed doubts from the audience and provided insights to help them prepare for future talks.
Overall, the webinar not only facilitated the transfer of knowledge on how to deliver an impressive oral presentation between experienced professionals and ECOPs, but also helped bridge marine experts, scholars, and emerging professionals together, fostering communication, networking, and collaboration. The success of this event signifies a solid step forward in our efforts to contribute to the growth and career development of Chinese ECOPs. It also manifests the commitment of the ECOP Programme towards ocean sustainability by elevating and amplifying the collective voice of the next generation of ocean professionals.
2024年5月29日，“海洋界青年专业人员”关系网络计划中国节点（Early Career Ocean Professional (ECOP) Network Programme – China Node, ECOP-CHINA）技能养成系列培训线上讲座第一讲顺利举行。本次讲座由ECOP-CHINA协调组组织，邀请了厦门大学海洋与地球学院沈渊教授进行主题为“如何打造一场让人印象深刻的学术报告”的经验分享。ECOP-CHINA培训协调员、美国普林斯顿大学博士后赵秧秧博士主持了本次讲座。该活动吸引了来自全国各地高校及科研机构的560余名海洋界青年专业人员，最高同时在线参会人数超过270人，涵盖了海洋行业内的专业人士、学者以及处于早期职业生涯的本科生、研究生和博士后。
讲座主要分为ECOP项目简介和技能讲座两部分。ECOP宣传协调员Natalie Fox首先介绍了ECOP项目的初衷、目标和发展状况，指出其在联合国海洋十年框架下将为ECOP提供区域性乃至全球的关系网络和职业发展机会，从而助力海洋可持续发展和管理实现“我们想要的海洋”（The Ocean We Want）。随后，赵秧秧博士简单介绍了ECOP-CHINA及其技能养成系列培训计划，并诚邀海洋相关领域的青年专家学者加入ECOP，助力下一代海洋青年的成长和发展。
沈渊教授从观众、媒介(PPT)和演讲者三个角度对学术报告过程中的要点和误区进行了深入剖析。他指出，演讲者需要根据听众的背景和报告的目的来架构切入点、故事线和报告重点。PPT作为学术报告的重要媒介，需要在保证观赏性的同时简洁、清晰地呈现关键信息点。沈渊教授以12-15分钟的学术汇报为例，从PPT的整体架构和各组成部分详细介绍要点和注意事项；并针对学位论文答辩分享了自己的经验。最后，沈渊教授以演讲者的角度从心态、态度、交流和互动问答等方面逐一介绍了可能存在的误区及其规避方式。他强调，做一个自信而有说服力的演讲者，要将内心的紧张转化为抓住机会的热情，重视每一次口头报告的机会，面向观众，减少口头禅的使用，在问答中快速对要点做出回应，从而建立起与观众的信任与连接。除此之外，沈教授还分享了PPT的配色和演讲的练习与学习技巧，为我们提供了一份全面而深入的学术报告指南。
12-15min学术报告PPT主要内容
时间轴式研究现状示例
在问答环节参会者踊跃提问，沈渊教授针深入浅出地解答了关于口头汇报语速的控制、综述类汇报的注意事项以及如何在结果中恰当取舍重点和细节等问题，帮助大家去疑求新。
本次讲座圆满落幕，不仅向参会者传授了口头报告的精髓与技巧，更为海洋领域的专家学者和青年从业者提供了一个交流与合作的社群。本次活动的顺利开展，标志着我们在助力海洋领域青年成长与发展上迈出了坚实的一步，也彰显了ECOP计划对于培养下一代海洋青年的重视和承诺，为海洋可持续发展和管理注入了新的活力和动力。