Students Volunteers and Conference and Student Volunteer Chairs for the INTERACT 2025 and IHC 2025 Conferences. Image Supplied
INTERACT 2025, the 20th IFIP TC13 International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction, took place in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil from 8 -12 September 2025.
The flagship conference of IFIP TC13 (Human-Computer Interaction), INTERACT 2025 was co-located with the XXIV Brazilian Symposium on Human Factors in Computing Systems (IHC 2025), allowing participation for both English and Portuguese speaking participants during the conference week.
With INTERACT’s focus on capacity building and student participation, IFIP TC13 and the IFIP Digital Equity Committee (DEC) made funds available to partially support qualifying masters and PhD students and early-stage researchers from developing countries with accepted contributions to attend the INTERACT 2025 Conference in-person.
Nineteen masters and doctoral students from all over Brazil were co-funded to attend the event. The funded students could also attend IHC 2025.
Other organisations co-funding student participation of both INTERACT 2025 and IHC 2025 included the Brazilian Computer Society (SBC), the Minas Gerais State Agency for Research and Development (FAPEMIG), the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), the Brazilian Federal Agency for Support and Evaluation of Graduate Education (CAPES), the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais and the Universidade Federal de Lavras. All the funded students were encouraged to participate in the student volunteer program, an invitation accepted by all except those limited by participation due to work commitments.
The program for INTERACT 2025 included 69 full research papers (peer-reviewed with a 31% acceptance rate0 34 short research papers (peer-reviewed) with a 31% acceptance rate), 33 Posters (juried), 11 interactive demos (curated), seven industrial experiences (curated), two Panels (curated), 10 courses (curated), 13 workshops (juried), and eight doctoral consortium participants (juried).
Here is a small selection the comments from some of the students directly funded by IFIP DEC and TC13:
“When I started off in the academic world, I was dreaming of going to a Human Computer Interaction Symposium, and I was glad to achieve that dream in such a huge event like the INTERACT 2025. It was a week of hard work, achievements, making friendships, getting to know amazing researchers and contributing as a part of the Student Volunteer team. It taught me a lot about communication, teamwork, problem solving skills and it allowed me to practice my English with native speakers which is such a great way to practice!”
“It was my very first in-person presentation at an international conference, and in another language, which made the experience even more exciting. As for the impact on my career, the first thing I take away is confidence. Presenting in such a setting helps to confront the ever-present “impostor syndrome” that makes you question your ability, your language skills, your background, or even your right timing. Having the chance to participate with financial support and encouragement made me realise that this path is indeed possible for me. Beyond that, seeing how other researchers framed their work, the methods they applied, and building connections for potential collaborations opened up new opportunities and ideas for my own research journey.”
“The conference had a strong impact on my career. As a UX lead in one of the largest sectors of my organisation, I now have the opportunity to apply the maturity model I proposed in my research in practice. In addition, I can leverage insights and approaches from other colleagues’ works to enrich our projects. Finally, participating in INTERACT 2025 strengthened my ability to bring an academic mindset into the daily routines of the professional market. It’s very important.”
“Participating in an international conference within my country made me reflect on our potential as researchers and feel special within a space that is not always accessible to us students. I will truly carry this memory with me after my doctorate with great affection and a tremendous sense of accomplishment.
“My volunteer activities allowed me to support the conference organization and engage with the international HCI community. Overall, participating in INTERACT 2025 strengthened my academic network, improved my research directions, and will have a lasting impact on my career by opening opportunities for collaboration and future publications.”
Congratulations to the organisers and participants on a very successful event!