From October 15 to 17, the E³UDRES² Science Festival took place at Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences (ViA) in Valmiera, bringing together more than 200 participants – students, researchers, entrepreneurs, and experts from Latvia, the United Kingdom, Austria, Albania, Egypt, the Netherlands, Hungary, Ukraine, and other countries. The festival was dedicated to knowledge exchange, fostering collaboration, and developing new research ideas and partnerships.
The diverse festival program began as early as October 13 with the Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Programme “Understanding and Communicating Research: Turn Your Research into a Story,” aimed at improving research communication skills. Throughout the week, students took part in lectures, seminars, and workshops, as well as attended the Science Festival events. A student from St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences in Austria said:
"Honestly, it was very interesting to see student presentations across such diverse research fields. I especially enjoyed the work on virtual reality – that was my favorite topic!"
On October 15, the 14th Student Research Conference “Society. Technology. Solutions.” was officially opened with welcoming speeches by ViA Rector and leading researcher Ph.D. Agnese Dāvidsone and Academic Vice-Rector and researcher Ph.D. Ieva Zaumane. "I feel honored to present my annual project at such a conference – it’s a great way to share my work and receive valuable feedback from experienced researchers," shared one ViA student. The Student Research Conference featured both oral presentations and poster sessions, where participants could explore research across various fields and vote for their favorite projects. Awards for outstanding presentations were given to ViA students and graduates Ervīns Boikovs, Laima Keiša, and Katrīna Kūkuma, as well as to Edvards Apsītis from the University of Latvia. In the Student Research Conference poster session, awards were received by ViA students Oto Jauja and Asunta Andreta Kalviņa, as well as doctoral students Syed Hussam Abbas and Imtiaz Ahmad from the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and Saqib Ahmed from Eötvös Loránd University (Hungary). Among the laureates were also Ain Shams University students from Egypt – Georg Wagih Shaker Hendy, Abdelrahman Hesham Rewaiy Mohamed Hussien, and William Wadee Sameh Eshak Ibrahim. In the Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Programme poster session, awards were presented to students from ViA’s partner universities: Kenza Belkhiri from Politehnica University of Timișoara (Romania), Sylvi Christina Garzarella, Chantal Kaiser, and Noel Baggio Kengue Tanguetio from Fulda University of Applied Sciences (Germany), Magdalena Gruber and Andrea Wu from St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences (Austria), and Leonie Meyer from Kiel University of Applied Sciences (Germany).
On October 16, the Science Festival continued with the 5th Scientific Conference “Society. Technology. Solutions.”, which brought together researchers from several countries. Parallel sessions explored topics such as the preservation of natural and cultural heritage, sustainable and circular economy, social resilience and inclusion, modeling and forecasting, media and communication, and the creative industries.
The conference keynote speakers were Professor Scott McCabe from the University of Birmingham (UK) and Sjors Groeneveld from Saxion University of Applied Sciences (Netherlands), whose presentations inspired participants toward further research and international cooperation.
"It was a very dynamic day, where the usual academic discussions were enriched by the opportunity for our young scientists to meet international leaders in their fields. We also held highly valuable and strategic workshops on best practices in knowledge management. The strong international network of E³UDRES² was truly felt in the selfless exchange of knowledge, aimed at strengthening the impact of science in regions, industries, and society," said Andris Klepers, Director of the Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences Scientific Institute and leading researcher.
The Science Festival concluded on October 17 with the E³UDRES² Stakeholders Forum, aimed at strengthening collaboration between universities, businesses, and municipalities.
"For Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences, it is important to continuously strengthen cooperation with businesses and municipalities to ensure that research and education remain closely aligned with regional needs. Long-term development requires a shared vision and coordinated action, but we all agree that the foundation of it all is clear and open communication," said Santa Vītola, Head of the Vidzeme Open Innovation Centre.
A workshop on stakeholder engagement was organized in cooperation with the University Industry Innovation Network (UIIN) from the Netherlands, a leading organization in fostering university–business collaboration.
The event photo gallery can be viewed HERE
