From October 15–17, the E³UDRES² Science Festival took place at Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences (ViA) in Valmiera, gathering 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.

 

Representatives from VALPRO also participated in the event.

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 enhancing research communication skills. Throughout the week, students attended lectures, seminars, and workshops, and took part in Science Festival activities. A student from St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences in Austria shared: “Honestly, it was really interesting to see the students’ presentations across such different research fields. The projects on virtual reality were particularly exciting – that was my favorite topic!”

 

On October 15, the 14th Student Research Conference “Society. Technology. Solutions.” was officially opened with welcoming speeches from ViA Rector and Lead Researcher, Ph.D. Agnese Dāvidsone, and Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs, Ph.D. Ieva Zaumane. “I feel honored to present my annual project at this conference – it’s a great opportunity to share my work and receive valuable feedback from experienced researchers,” said one of the ViA students.The Student Research Conference featured both oral presentations and poster sessions, allowing participants to explore research in various fields and vote for their favorites. Awards for outstanding presentations went to ViA students and alumni Ervīns Boikovs, Laima Keiša, and Katrīna Kūkuma, as well as Edvards Apsītis from the University of Latvia. In the poster session of the Student Research Conference, awards were presented to ViA students Oto Jauja and Asunta Andreta Kalviņa, as well as to doctoral students Syed Hussam Abbas and Imtiaz Ahmad from the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and Saqib Ahmed from Eötvös Loránd University in 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 poster session of the Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Programme, awards were presented to students from ViA partner universities: Kenza Belkhiri from the Polytechnic 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 natural and cultural heritage preservation, sustainable and circular economy, community resilience and social inclusion, modeling and forecasting, media and communication, and creative industries. The conference’s keynote speakers – Professor Scott McCabe from the University of Birmingham and Sjors Groeneveld from Saxion University of Applied Sciences – inspired participants to pursue further research and international collaboration.

 

“It was a very dynamic day, where the usual academic discussions were enriched by opportunities for our young scientists to meet international leaders in their fields. Equally valuable were the strategic workshops on best practices in knowledge management. The power of the E³UDRES² international network was truly felt in the selfless exchange of cutting-edge knowledge, strengthening the impact of science across regions, industries, and society,” said Andris Klepers, Director of the Scientific Institute and Lead Researcher at Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences.

 

The Science Festival concluded on October 17 with the E³UDRES² Stakeholder Forum, aimed at strengthening university–business–municipality cooperation. “For Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences, it is important to continuously reinforce collaboration with companies and municipalities to ensure that research and education are closely aligned with regional needs. A shared vision and coordinated action are essential for long-term development, but above all, open and clear communication is the key foundation,”

emphasized Santa Vītola, Head of the Vidzeme Open Innovation Centre.

 

The stakeholder management workshop was organized in cooperation with the University Industry Innovation Network (UIIN) from the Netherlands – a leading organization in promoting university–business collaboration.

 

Photo gallery of the event is available HERE.

 

Author: Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences