Cochrane Iran supported the student event "Health Futurists: Next Generation Policymakers, Presentation Professional" at the 10th National Epidemiology Congress of Iran. The event was held on Thursday, November 30, 2023, at the same time as the Epidemiology Congress of Iran, and focused on students. The purpose of this event was to promote student engagement and participation in the congress, enhance students' communication and presentation skills for the academic community, and build students' confidence.
In the screening round, participants competed by submitting presentation materials on the topic "What should be done to prepare for the next pandemic?" Ten groups advanced to the final round, and the top group in the screening round also gave a presentation on the panel "COVID-19 Epidemiology and Pandemic Preparedness" at the congress.
In the final and in-person stages, participants had two days to compete by presenting on the topic of "Is HPV vaccination necessary in the Iranian population? If yes, for what purpose?" while searching for scientific evidence and consulting with the scientific community. The evaluation criteria in this stage were based on the evidence-based nature of the statements, public speaking and communication skills, creativity and innovation in the presentation, the visual appeal of the presentation content, and respecting the time limit. The top three teams received prizes of 10, 7, and 5 million tomans, respectively.
Neda Esmailzadehha, the head of the Health Futurists Student Event, said in an interview with Cochrane Iran: "Designing and implementing an event with the focus on students and evidence-based presentation approach for the scientific community and policymakers, and also seeking support for holding this event, was an opportunity for me to gain new experiences in different fields. I am confident that more opportunities will be presented to me in the future. Moving in this way allowed us to hold the Health Futurists Student Event independently in terms of process and finance, while attracting student participation, in cooperation with the executive team."
In addition to participating in the evaluation of student presentations in the screening and final stages, Cochrane Iran awarded 15 copies of the book "Testing Treatments: Better Research for Better Healthcare" and 15 100% discount codes for the workshop "Systematic Search for Systematic Review" to the winners of the event.
Health Futurists Student Event
Event Motto: Next Generation Policymakers, Presentation Professional