🏠/About Us
About Us
Why Our Conference?
Passion For Undergraduate Academia
Why TRACES?
The Transdisciplinary Academic Conference for Emerging Scholars (TRACES) is a student-led platform empowering undergraduates to engage in academic research, present their work, and publish with recognition – all before graduation. Open to all disciplines, TRACES encourages students to address real-world challenges through cross-disciplinary thinking. From abstract to presentation to ISBN-registered publication, TRACES offers a rare opportunity to experience the full research journey in a supportive, international setting – and all completely free of charge.
What TRACES Offers:
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Early Publication Opportunities
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Accepted abstracts published in the official TRACES Conference Proceedings
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Full manuscripts published in the TRACES Chronicle with ISBN registration
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Official Presentation Certificate
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All presenters receive a physical and digital certificate to recognize their academic contribution
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No Fees at Any Stage
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Submission, presentation, and publication are entirely free of charge for all participants
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Global Networking & Recognition
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Connect with fellow emerging researchers and respected academics from around the world
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Opportunities for collaboration, mentorship, and academic exposure
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Skill Building in Research Communication
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Gain experience presenting and defending your research in an encouraging, student-friendly environment
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Cross-Disciplinary Learning
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Engage with research and ideas beyond your own major, fostering broader understanding and creativity
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Our Educational Mission
At its heart, TRACES is more than a conference – it is an educational initiative. We believe that access to academic research and publishing should not be reserved for postgraduates or professionals. By offering undergraduates a full academic platform, we empower emerging scholars to think critically, communicate effectively, and contribute meaningfully to global discourse. This mission extends beyond university walls: through TRACES Workshops, we bring transdisciplinary learning to secondary school students, introducing them to research skills, academic writing, and ethical inquiry from an earlier stage. In doing so, TRACES aims to foster a generation of thoughtful, innovative thinkers prepared to shape the future across disciplines.
TRACES isn’t just a conference – it’s a stepping stone into the academic world. Participants leave not only with a publication and certificate, but with the skills, confidence, and connections to pursue future academic and professional endeavours. Whether you're just starting your research journey or already have something to share, TRACES is your chance to make your voice heard.
Our Story
Emerging from their participation in the 2024 Common Core's Transdisciplinary Research & Writing Fellowship focused on Critical Zones: Water in Hong Kong, Damien and Odo were able to present their paper at an academic conference in Dublin. They found the event eye-opening and educational. In this spirit, they were inspired to extend this experience to their fellow HKU students, which could serve for students to gain valuable presentation skills, publication and networking opportunities as well as academic credits.
Many students have voiced their eagerness to present and publish their research. TRACES sees itself as a way of satisfying that need and to further encourage independent research among undergraduate and postgraduate students, who shall be the key audience of this conference. This will not only be beneficial to academia as a whole, but also serve to distinguish TRACES from the plethora of academic conferences which are open to all. In future, we hope to extend this opportunity to secondary school students as well; on one hand stimulating interest in research at an early stage, on the other hand, introducing HKU and the broader university life to secondary school students in a tangible manner.
