European Union Contest for Young Scientists 2013

Final Report Summary - EUCYS 2013 (European Union Contest for Young Scientists 2013)

Executive Summary:
The European Union Contest for Young Scientists, an initiative of the European Commission, was set up in 1989 to promote the ideals of cooperation and interchange between young scientists. The Contest is the annual showcase of the best of European student scientific achievement, and as such attracts widespread media interest. The EU Contest gives students the opportunity to compete with the best of their contemporaries at European level. The young scientists also have the chance to meet others with similar abilities and interests, and to be guided by some of the most prominent scientists in Europe.
The 25th EUCYS was organised from 20th to 25th September 2013 at the historical Prague-Holešovice exhibition grounds. The Host Organiser was the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, through its Centre of Administration and Operations, and in
collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic. This was the first time in the history of the contest that it had been hosted in the Czech Republic. The event was endorsed by Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science, Miloš Zeman, President of the Czech Republic, Milan Štěch, President of the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, Miroslava Němcova, President of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, Tomáš Hudeček, Mayor of Prague. Sponsors of the event further included Czech Tourism, Czech Invest, Siemens, Coca Cola, the venue Incheba Expo Praha, and media partners Cesky Rozhlas and Ceska Televize.
The 25th Contest welcomed 124 contestants to Prague, from 37 countries and the European Schools. The total number of participants in the contest was far higher, including Escorts, Jury members, VIP guests, accompanying persons, exhibitors and over 3000 visitors from the general public (including primary and secondary school class visits).
83 projects competed to win the prestigious EUCYS prizes, covering a wide range of topics from Biology, Chemistry, Computing, Engineering, Environmental Science, Mathematics, Medicine, Physics and Social Sciences. Each project team submitted written descriptions of their research as well as participating in three days of face-to-face interviews in Prague with the Jury members.
Prizes were awarded to 31 projects, presented by 44 contestants from 20 countries (and the European Schools).
For EUCYS 2013 the organisers particularly focused on:
- celebrating the contest’s 25th anniversary
- encouraging the young scientists to pursue their interest in science and embrace scientific careers;
- fostering the interest of young scientists for research in the leading European groups and institutes, such as the EPO, EIROforum partner institutions, Joint Research Centre, EuCheMS;
- deepening cooperation with partner research institutions in the Czech Republic through the public interactive exhibition zone
- broad and intensive communication with the general public, promoting the contest exhibition and public zone activities to ensure that the contestants’ projects are visible to the wider public.

Project Context and Objectives:
The European Union Contest for Young Scientists, an initiative of the European Commission, was set up in 1989 to promote the ideals of cooperation and interchange between young scientists. The Contest is the annual showcase of the best of European student scientific achievement, and as such attracts widespread media interest. The EU Contest gives students the opportunity to compete with the best of their contemporaries at European level. The young scientists also have the chance to meet others with similar abilities and interests, and to be guided by some of the most prominent scientists in Europe.
The 25th EUCYS was organised from 20th to 25th September 2013 at the historical Prague-Holešovice exhibition grounds. The Host Organiser was the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, through its Centre of Administration and Operations, and in
collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic. This was the first time in the history of the contest that it had been hosted in the Czech Republic. The event was endorsed by Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science, Miloš Zeman, President of the Czech Republic, Milan Štěch, President of the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, Miroslava Němcova, President of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, Tomáš Hudeček, Mayor of Prague. Sponsors of the event further included Czech Tourism, Czech Invest, Siemens, Coca Cola, the venue Incheba Expo Praha, and media partners Cesky Rozhlas and Ceska Televize.
The 25th Contest welcomed 124 contestants to Prague, from 37 countries and the European Schools. The total number of participants in the contest was far higher, including Escorts, Jury members, VIP guests, accompanying persons, exhibitors and over 3000 visitors from the general public (including primary and secondary school class visits).
83 projects competed to win the prestigious EUCYS prizes, covering a wide range of topics from Biology, Chemistry, Computing, Engineering, Environmental Science, Mathematics, Medicine, Physics and Social Sciences. Each project team submitted written descriptions of their research as well as participating in three days of face-to-face interviews in Prague with the Jury members.
Prizes were awarded to 31 projects, presented by 44 contestants from 20 countries (and the European Schools).
For EUCYS 2013 the organisers particularly focused on:
- celebrating the contest’s 25th anniversary
- encouraging the young scientists to pursue their interest in science and embrace scientific careers;
- fostering the interest of young scientists for research in the leading European groups and institutes, such as the EPO, EIROforum partner institutions, Joint Research Centre, EuCheMS;
- deepening cooperation with partner research institutions in the Czech Republic through the public interactive exhibition zone
- broad and intensive communication with the general public, promoting the contest exhibition and public zone activities to ensure that the contestants’ projects are visible to the wider public.

Project Results:
Not relevant to this project

Potential Impact:
The main impact of the European Union Contest for Young Scientists is to increase Young peoples‘ interest in, and encouragement towards, pursuing careers in Science and Technology. Its secondary impact is to increase public awareness of Young scientific talent, in order to increase support for and opportunities for such careers, and the third impact is to increase awareness of the contest itself, in order to increase the contest’s significance both in the European scientific context, and for the participants themselves.

In order to contribute to the above impacts, the following dissemination and popularization activities were organised as part of EUCYS 2013:

1. Production, publication and distribution of the following materials:
EUCYS 2013 visual style
Logo
Official event website
Social media – youtube, facebook, twitter (coordinated by European Commission media team)
Posters
Roll-ups
Contest Catalogue
Practical Guide
Brochure for public and schools
Outdoor advertising in the city of Prague:
- 56 JCDecaux Citylights
- 230 JCDecaux metro frames (49x49 cm) in Prague metro line A and B (inside the train)
- 180 JCDecaux metro frames (106x19 cm) in Prague metro line C (inside the train)
- 50 JCDecaux metro frames B1 (70x100 cm) in Prague metro stations
- 70 JCDecaux outdoor tram foils (220x60 cm) on Prague trams
- 1 JCDecaux tramboard (510x240 cm)
- 2000 JCDecaux tram handles in Prague trams
- 5 RailReklam Citylights 118,5 x 175 cm
- 3 RailReklam Variaposters 250 x 119 cm
- 7 RailReklam Billboards 510 x 240 cm
- 2 outdoor Flex banners (67 x 90 cm)
- 10 outdoor Horizont banners (43 x 92 cm)
- 13 OutBanners (50 x 200 cm)
Web-based advertising on host and sponsors‘ websites
Press conferences and associated press releases
Promotional items (including notepads, umbrellas, pens, pins, stickers, folders, drinks bottles, bags, balloons)
Attractive visuals for the contest venue
Official audiovisual contest jingle
25th Anniversary newspaper
Film about Czech Scientists

Videos and photographs of the event
Post-production brochure

2. Organisation of a public exhibition, with interactive exhibits from national and international scientific organisations and institutions, which was open to the public and to participants free of charge, for three days during EUCYS 2013. (This was visited by more than 3000 public visitors).

3. Opening of the Contest exhibition (contestants‘ project displays) to the general public for 3 days during the contest, for 3 - 6 hours per day.

4. Organisation of an interesting accompanying programme (lectures, evening activities, etc.) including speakers from renowned international scientific organisations, and Czech dignitaries, raising the significance of the event for all participants and within the European context.

5. Co-organisation of meetings alongside EUCYS for representatives of National and International Scientific Organisations, together with organisations INTEL and MILSET.

List of Websites:

www.eucys2013.cz

Final Report Summary - EUCYS 2013 (European Union Contest for Young Scientists 2013)

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