Conferences shouldn't be a closed room.
We're a network that opens academic conferences to students — because the next generation of researchers deserves a seat in the room, not just a textbook summary of what happened there.
Why SCAN exists
The moment that made this obvious
We attended a panel at ACM — five top academics at the peak of their fields, a room that could have held hundreds. There were five people watching. We were the only two students there.
Students are given small-scale research conferences, but never exposed to the wider ecosystem. We're missing a critical portion of voices — the next generation. So we started SCAN to change that: giving students access to real conferences, inspiring them, and enabling a better passing on of ideas across the research community.
What we believe
- • Research is a collaborative effort.
- • Conferences are classrooms.
- • New voices belong in the room.
- • Access should be free for students.
How it works
Simple on purpose
Bring students into the room.
Whether you're curious, intimidated, or just unsure how conferences work — SCAN exists to make your first conference feel possible.