The City of Brussels hosted the 28th edition of the European Union Contest for Young Scientists (EUCYS), from 15th to 22nd September 2016 and welcomed guests from 39 European and extra Europe countries to take part in a very exciting science adventure organised by the Jeunesses Scientifiques de Belgique (Young Belgian Scientists) together with the European Commission.
The Contest, which takes place every year in a different European city, is one of the core initiatives of the European Commission to support students interested in science and technology, to foster their talents and to make science more appealing to young people. EUCYS is part of the Science with and for Society activities managed by the Directorate-General for Research and Innovation of the European Commission. Within Horizon 2020, Science with and for Society aims to build a more harmonious relationship between scientific endeavour and the European Society at large.
EUCYS was supported by public institutions and private partners including the Brussels Region (VisitBrussels & Innoviris), the City of Brussels, PRACE, the Salvetti Foundation, the Biobased industries bioeconomy, FoodDrinkEurope bioeconomy, Dupont, Nestlé, Ferrero, EuCheMs, Intel ISEF, Joint Research Centre and the EIROforum including the CERN: The European Laboratory for Particle Physics, EUROFusion, EMBL: The European Molecular Biology Laboratory, ESRF: The European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, ESA: European Space Agency, ESO: European Southern Observatory, ILL: The Institute Laue-Langevin, XFEL: The European X-ray Free-Electron Laser Facility GmbH which contributed in different ways to the success of this edition.
138 contestants aged 14-20 selected in 37 countries and the European Schools attended the event and showcased the results of the STEM projects at an exhibition held within Tour & Taxis. This former gigantic customs clearance and goods warehousing complex logically used to be the central hub for the transit of merchandise through the city and was rehabilitated as an Exhibition area.
100 stands, including 90 projects split by field, welcomed the public and the Jury members in charge of awarding the 34 prizes.
The parallel programme organised for the participants offered a science conference conducted by EIROForum; the visit of Brussels, the visit of the Parlamentarium, a musical dinner dedicated to the Belgian culture and other cultural sightseeing.
For more information, visit the website.