# Adapting beyond borders: Insights from the 19th Student Council Symposium (SCS2023), the first hybrid ISCB Student Council global event

## TL;DR

The 19th ISCB Student Council Symposium was the first hybrid global event in computational biology, offering both in-person and virtual participation.

## Contribution

The symposium introduced a successful hybrid model for inclusivity in global scientific events.

## Key findings

- The hybrid format allowed for global participation, with Europe being the major contributor.
- The event successfully combined in-person and virtual sessions, including Q&A and exhibits.
- Attendee feedback and statistics highlighted the effectiveness of the hybrid approach.

## Abstract

The 19th ISCB Student Council Symposium (SCS2023) organized by ISCB-SC adopted a hybrid format for the first time, allowing participants to engage in-person in Lyon, France, and virtually via an interactive online platform. The symposium prioritized inclusivity, featuring on-site sessions, poster presentations, and social activities for in-person attendees, while virtual participants accessed live sessions, interactive Q&A, and a virtual exhibit hall. Attendee statistics revealed a global reach, with Europe as the major contributor. SCS2023’s success in bridging in-person and virtual experiences sets a precedent for future events in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics.

The details of the symposium, speaker information, schedules, and accepted abstracts, are available in the program booklet (https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8173977). For organizers interested in adopting a similar hybrid model, it would be beneficial to have access to details regarding the online platform used, the types of sessions offered, and the challenges faced. Future iterations of SCS can address these aspects to further enhance accessibility and inclusivity.