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SymboFTS

Student Symposium

Authors are invited to submit their original and unpublished research work in accordance with the symposium’s research tracks. The First Student Research and Innovation Symposium provides an excellent platform for students to present their research findings, share innovative ideas, and engage with academics, researchers, and industry experts.  Selected submissions will have the opportunity to present their research as posters at the symposium, providing authors with valuable exposure, constructive feedback, and opportunities to connect with experts and fellow researchers. We encourage students to showcase their research, exchange knowledge, and contribute to building a vibrant research and innovation community.

Important Dates

Paper Formatting and Submission Guidelines

  1. Official Template
    The LaTeX source files provided by the conference shall be considered the official paper template.
  2. PDF Reference Template
    A PDF version of the template is provided as a visual reference to demonstrate the required formatting, structure, and overall page layout.
  3. Microsoft Word Submission
    Authors may prepare their papers using Microsoft Word, provided that all formatting requirements illustrated in the official PDF template are reproduced accurately.
  4. Formatting Requirements
    The final submitted paper must strictly follow the conference template with respect to:
    • Page size: A4
    • Margins
    • Font: Times New Roman
    • Body font size: 10 pt
    • Headings and subheadings
    • Two-column layout
    • Line spacing and paragraph spacing
    • Figures and tables
    • Equations
    • References
    • Overall page layout and formatting
  5. Final Formatting Check
    Authors are strongly advised to compare the final PDF of their paper with the provided PDF template before submission to ensure that the formatting is consistent with the conference requirements.
  6. Recommended Paper Structure
    The paper should include the following major sections, as appropriate to the nature of the research:
    • Title
    • Author(s) and Affiliation(s)
    • Abstract
    • Keywords
    • Introduction
    • Related Work / Literature Review
    • Methodology / Materials and Methods
    • Results
    • Discussion
    • Conclusion
    • Acknowledgements (if applicable)
    • References
    • Authors may modify, combine, or add sections where appropriate to suit the nature of their research. However, the paper should maintain a clear, logical, and academically appropriate structure.
  7. Submission of Source Files
    The editable source file must be submitted together with the final paper.
    • Microsoft Word: Submit the editable .docx source file.
    • LaTeX: Submit the complete compressed LaTeX source folder as a .zip file, including all necessary .tex files, bibliography files, figures/images,
      and other files required to compile the paper.
  8. Final Submission
    The final PDF and the corresponding source file(s) must be submitted together during the final submission.
  9. Author Responsibility
    Authors are responsible for ensuring that the submitted PDF and source file(s) are complete, readable, error-free, and consistent with each other.

Conference Poster Formatting and Submission Guidelines

  1. Poster Size
    The poster must be prepared in A0 size.
  2. Orientation
    The poster must be prepared in landscape orientation.
  3. Font Size and Readability
    Font sizes should be sufficiently large and clearly readable at the designated poster-display distance.
  4. Poster Template and Reference
    A LaTeX poster template and a PDF sample are provided as references to demonstrate the recommended poster structure, layout, and content organization.
  5. Software for Poster Preparation
    Authors may prepare their posters using:
    • LaTeX
    • Microsoft PowerPoint (PPT/PPTX)
    • Other suitable presentation or design software
  6. PowerPoint Posters
    Authors using Microsoft PowerPoint should follow the general poster format,structure, and content organization illustrated in the provided LaTeX/PDF sample.
  7. Column Layout
    The poster may use either a three-column or four-column layout, depending on the nature and amount of content.
  8. Layout Flexibility
    The column arrangement, section organization, and visual layout may be adapted by authors to present their research clearly and effectively.
  9. Visual Design
    Authors may select their own colour scheme, fonts, graphical elements, and visual styling, provided that the final poster:
    • Maintains a professional appearance
    • Is clearly readable
    • Has good visual balance
    • Presents the research in a logical and consistent manner
  10. Recommended Poster Content
    The poster should contain the essential research components, as appropriate to
    the nature of the work:
    • Title
    • Author(s) and Affiliation(s)
    • Introduction / Background
    • Objectives
    • Methodology / Proposed Approach
    • Results and Discussion
    • Conclusion
    • References
  11. Use of the LaTeX/PDF Sample
    The provided LaTeX/PDF sample is intended as a design and content reference. Authors are not required to reproduce the exact colours, fonts, or column arrangement of the sample.
  12. Figures, Tables, and Graphs
    Authors should ensure that all figures, tables, graphs, diagrams, and other visual elements are of sufficient quality and resolution for clear viewing at the designated poster-display size.
  13. Final Poster Submission
    For the final submission, authors must submit the poster in PDF format.
  14. Author Responsibility
    Authors are responsible for ensuring that the final poster PDF is complete, readable, professionally presented, and suitable for printing and display at A0 size

Paper Submission

  1. All paper submissions are through CMT . If you are a first-time CMT user, create an account using your official email.
  2. Choose the most appropriate track.
  3. Contact us here , if you have any questions regarding your submission or if you experience any issues while submitting your manuscript.
  4. Submit your auther declaration form with inital submission. ictinspire@vau.ac.lk
  5. Conference organizers encourage you to get prior clearances/ approvals from the respective organizations when an ethical clearance is needed for the paper’s content.

Peer Review Process

All submissions will undergo a double-blind peer review using Microsoft’s Conference Management Toolkit (CMT). We extend our gratitude to Microsoft for providing this platform and related services free of charge.

Important Notes

  • Authors are requested to submit their extended abstracts by 9 October 2026 for review.
  • Authors whose extended abstracts are accepted will be invited to submit the camera-ready version of the extended abstract and the research poster by 10 November 2026.
  • Only authors of accepted extended abstracts are eligible to submit the camera-ready extended abstract and poster.