symposium

Definition

An academic conference where experts gather to present papers, share research, and engage in scholarly discussion about a specific topic, descended from Ancient Greek drinking parties with philosophical debates. The modern version typically features less wine and more PowerPoint presentations. What happens when you combine networking, knowledge-sharing, and terrible conference center coffee.

Example Usage

The three-day symposium on artificial intelligence ethics featured 47 speakers, most of whom went over their allotted time while the moderator smiled nervously.

Source: Academic terminology

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