Connect, Share and Collaborate Through Research

The West Hub Research Café is an informal, cross-disciplinary event series that gives researchers the opportunity to network and find collaborative opportunities, as well as share their work in an accessible, engaging format. Each session explores a particular theme or area of interest and features lightning talks, poster sessions, Q&A, and relaxed networking over refreshments.

Led by the West Hub Library Team, the Research Café encourages dialogue between researchers, students, and the public, fostering curiosity, conversation, and community. Everyone is welcome, whether you’re presenting, interested in making connections,  or simply curious to learn something new.

The West Hub Research Café is open to everyone, students, researchers, and professionals from the University of Cambridge and beyond. We encourage colleagues from other institutions and organisations to take part and share their work with our diverse community.

To get involved, keep an eye out for announcements about upcoming cafés on the West Hub website, newsletter, and social media channels.

Participation is easy: simply submit a short abstract outlining your research idea, project, or topic of interest. You can then choose how you’d like to present:

• Lightning Talk: Deliver a short, engaging presentation (usually 5–7 minutes) to introduce your research and spark discussion.

• Poster Session: Share your project visually and connect with attendees through informal conversations.

• Share: We can also support you with sharing your research as widely as possible through Apollo, the University repository. The repository is committed to preserving for the long-term and providing access to the University’s research as widely as possible

The Research Café is a welcoming and supportive space where early-career and experienced researchers alike can exchange ideas, practise communication skills, and meet new collaborators across disciplines and institutions.

Not ready to present? You’re very welcome to join as an audience member, come along to discover new research, ask questions, and be part of the conversation.