Brussels will host 85 scientific projects at the European Union Contest for Young Scientists (EUCYS) 2023 from September 13 to 15 at the Square

The most important science fair in the EU brings together 136 bright young scientists and is open to families and schools

August 23, 2023

136 young scientists aged 14 to 20 from 36 countries will come to Brussels to present their scientific projects to the general public as part of an international science fair organised by the European Commission and the ‘Jeunesses scientifiques de Belgique’. The event will take place at the Square and is open to families, schools and the general public, free of charge.

‘The environmental causes of the development of brain tumours’, ‘Alternative production of hydrogen’, or ‘Multi-robot kit for detecting earthquake victims in debris’: these are just some of the 85 projects that will be presented by bright young minds at the 34th European Union Contest for Young Scientists (EUCYS) 2023, which will be held at the Square in Brussels from 12 to 17 September and will be open to the general public from 13 to 15 September. This edition is the third hosted by our country since its first edition in 1989.

Young bright Belgians

Throughout the entire duration of the event, the 136 participants will act as science ambassadors and they will have the opportunity to showcase the fruits of their research as a team. To be able to join the contest in Brussels, each young scientist has been awarded in its country for his/her project. The winners come from all over the European Union, as well as from Armenia, Canada, China, Egypt, Georgia, South Korea, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, and the United States of America.

A Belgian project will also be competing: three students from the Athénée Royal de Dour will be showcasing their "Glove that translates into sign language" awarded at the Belgian Science Fair 2023 organised by the Jeunesses Scientifiques de Belgique.

Participants will compete for prestigious awards, including visits to CERN and the ESA, and monetary prizes of €3,500 for the four 3^rd prize, 5000€ for the four 2^nd prize and €7,000 for the four 1^st prize.

Promoting STEM

The aim of EUCYS is to promote science, inspire scientific careers and encourage young scientists to meet at an international level.

According to an IBSA study, only one in five students in Belgium choose a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) track in higher education, giving the country the third lowest score in the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development). Only 22% of students entering higher education were women in 2015.

Quotes from former participants

Luca Luongo, former Belgian participant, engineer at the ESA (European Space Agency), was head of the Belgian delegation in Tallin, Dublin and Leiden and is a volunteer at EUCYS 2023 : "Taking part in this competition has had an impact on my career: I travelled and discussed in English with other young scientists. I am currently working at the European Space Agency in the Netherlands, where I have colleagues from Spain, France, England, and other countries. Thanks to the competition, I have learnt to work in teams and I have discovered other ways of working. Having ‘EUCYS participant’ on your CV has helped to advance my scientific career, showing involvement in scientific activities from a very young age. It's a sign of motivation and passion.”

Gaëtan Barette, 19, from Brussels, engineering student at the VUB (Dutch-language Free University of Brussels, winner of a third prize in 2022. Volunteer at EUCYS 2023) :  "Last year, I was on the podium of EUCYS 2022, which took place in Leiden. The darts-throwing and playing robot might not be have the biggest impact on everyday life, but it involved programming, automation, physics, ballistics, mathematics, mechanics skills.. Not many people were interested in my robot from the beginning, but the panel encouraged me and the prize increased the confidence I had on the project and, ultimately, in myself. EUCYS was also an opportunity to meet other young people, who are passionate about science and come from all over the world. It's quite unique.”

Mira Van Thielen, Member of the Jury at EUCYS 2023, 1st prize at EUCYS 2005 in Moscow, anaesthetist at UZ Leuven (University of Leuven Medical Centre): When I was 16, I collected data from astronauts at the ISS and I submitted a project on the influence of gravity in space on the functioning of the heart. EUCYS was a great opportunity to meet other young scientists from different countries, with very different backgrounds. It's very enriching both in professional and human terms. 

Today, I'm a member of the international jury. Our selection criteria include evaluating that the participants think for themselves and develop scientific reasoning.”

EUCYS, a historic competition

This is the third time the competition will be held in Brussels. The European Union Contest for Young Scientists (EUCYS) was first held here in 1989, once Jacques Delors, then President of the European Commission, decided to take over a European science fair that a major Dutch electronics company had been organising since 1968.

The aim was to promote the ideals of cooperation and exchange by and between young scientists. The competition is an annual showcase for the best scientific achievements of European students.

EUCYS gives students an opportunity to measure themselves against the best of their peers at European level. Young scientists also have a chance to meet other people with similar abilities and interests, as well as some of Europe's most eminent scientists. The Commission thus seeks to reinforce the efforts made in each participating country to attract young people to careers in science and technology.

EUCYS 2023 IN FIGURES

Open to the general public for 3 days, from 13 to 15 September 2023
€0: free entry for the general public
136 young people aged 14 to 20
36 countries represented
85 projects
All disciplines of science including: Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Engineering, Environment, Mathematics, Medicine, Physics, Social Sciences
22 international scientists on the jury
1,000 visitors expected
40 volunteers in the organising team
1700 m² of exhibition space

Practical Information:

https://eucys2023.eu/visitors/

At the Square, in Mont des Arts (just a stone’s throw away from Central Station)

Opening Hours:

13/09 – 10:30 am - 01:00 pm & 02:00 - 05:00 pm
14/09 – 09:30 am -12:30 pm & 01:30 - 04:30 pm
15/09 – 09:30 am -12:30 pm & 01:30 - 04:30 pm

The young people will be available at their booths at these times to explain their research and show their models. They all speak English.

About the projects

Press release in French

Instagram page

Nathalie PAQUET

Attachée de presse

About Jeunesses scientifiques de Belgique

As a youth organisation, the main aim of Jeunesses Scientifiques de Belgique is to get young people interested in science. Active since 1957, it organises activities that are both fun and scientific for children aged 6 and over, including courses, camps, weekly workshops, outing classes, support for science projects in the classroom, training for holiday centre leaders (leading to certification known by the French initials ‘BACV’), a national contest for scientific and technical projects (Sciences-Expo), etc.