From September 15 to 20, Riga, Latvia will host the 36th European Union Contest for Young Scientists (EUCYS). More than 130 young people from 37 countries will gather at Hanzas Perons to present 90 exciting research projects to an international jury. Three projects from Latvia have also been nominated for the international competition, having received the highest recognition at the 49th Latvian Student Scientific Research Paper Conference.
This year, Latvia will be represented in the competition by three projects in the fields of biology, chemistry, and engineering.
Evita Mārtinsone from Sigulda State Gymnasium researched how effectively natural plant oil compounds can protect us from harmful ultraviolet radiation.
"Representing Latvia in the European Union Contest for Young Scientists is a huge honor for me because it is an opportunity not only to showcase an original scientific idea on a European scale but also to do so right here in Riga, as part of such a significant and large-scale event for Latvia. Although the contest week sounds serious and intense, I am most looking forward to meeting representatives from other countries and learning about their projects," Evita said, emphasizing that this is only the first step in her journey into the international scientific environment.
Rolands Eisāns from Daugavpils State Gymnasium explored the world of nanotechnology — he synthesized and studied zinc nanowires to understand how they could be used in more powerful batteries. His work could bring practical contributions to energy technologies.
Francis Roops and Aleksis Veide from Riga State Gymnasium No. 1 focused on a common winter phenomenon that can seriously endanger road safety — black ice. Their project studied how it can be detected with light, thus making driving safer.
"At the moment, I am enrolled at HZ University of Applied Sciences (Netherlands), where I will study civil engineering. I chose applied sciences because research work doesn’t attract me much; I prefer to apply my knowledge in practice. I am very grateful that I chose the advanced physics track at school, because with each new topic I learned, I understood more and more about how the world works. I was truly fascinated by how often I found myself asking, ‘How does this work?’, ‘What determines that it has to be this way?’, and similar questions arose. That feeling, when I could explain to myself why something must be so, I really enjoyed," Francis shared, revealing that this experience led him to pursue practical engineering studies.
Latvian young scientists have participated in the European Union Contest for Young Scientists since 1999 and have regularly achieved success — from special prizes to medals. For example, in the 2023 contest, a student from Riga State Gymnasium No. 1 received a special prize from the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) for the project "Empirical Prediction of Chalcopyrite Lattice Parameters from the Chemical Properties of the Constituent Elements." In 2022, a student from RTU Engineering High School won a special prize from the Naturalis Biodiversity Center (NBC) for the project "Identification of Forest Damage — Bark Beetle Infestations in Latvia Using Remote Sensing."
About EUCYS 2025
EUCYS is an annual competition organized by the European Commission since 1989, bringing together the most talented students from across Europe and beyond to present their scientific projects. Only young people who have won first place in national competitions are eligible to participate. The aim of EUCYS is to strengthen young people’s interest in science, foster international collaboration, and promote a culture of innovation across Europe. The competition is organized by the European Commission in cooperation with national organizers from participating countries. In Latvia, it is organized by the State Education Development Agency.
