EC2U Science Contest
Science in competition with our European partner universities
The Jena Science Battle Team cheers
EC2U Science Contest 2024 Linz
Image: Andreas Roebl (Universität Linz)Latest News:
The EC2U Science Contest 2024 took place in Linz on 23 October, Team Iasi (Romania) won.
In the 2nd EC2U programme period, this event format is called "Science Contest".
The 2023 EC2U Science Battle winner was: Team Pavia. With 188:184 points Team Jena was a close-to-winning second in the final. Congratulations to Pavia and thanks to our fabulous team!
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What is a Science Contest?
Science Battle in Turku, Finland
Image: Hanna OksanenWhat is a Science Contest?
A Science ContestExternal link is a scientific competition: for the smartest solution, the best approach, the most entertaining explanation. It is a public display of how scientists tackle a new research question while also being creative and "thinking outside the box." The format of the "Science Battle" was developed at the University of Turku (Finland) in 2016 and is now being expanded as a competition between the seven members of the European Campus of City Universities (EC2UExternal link) university alliance.
In 2021, Jena's EC2U partner universities Pavia (Italy), Poitiers (France) and Turku (Finland) competed against each other. Pavia won the 2021 Science Battle. In 2022, the University of Jena competed with teams from Coimbra (Portugal), Iasi (Romania) and Salamanca (Spain); Jena won. In the 2023 final in Poitiers, Pavia competed against Jena and won by a very narrow margin.
In the 2nd phase of the programme, three teams will compete against each other in the EC2U forums. In 2024 in Linz, Iasi, Salamanca and Linz will compete against each other. In 2025 in Coimbra, the teams from Coimbra, Poitiers and Pavia will compete. In 2026 in Turku, the teams will be from Turku, Jena and the 9th consortium member. In 2027, the winners will compete against each other to find out who the final winner is.
How does a Science Contest work?
In the third EC2U Science Contest, two teams of six researchers each from different disciplines will compete against each other. The teams are given the same question and a few minutes to solve it; then they must present their answer. The moderators talk to the team and the audience on site and online. As in a television show, the other six EC2U universities public viewing locations are connected via livestream.
The judges from the universities without teams award points for quick wit, entertainment factor and logical reasoning. The audience awards additional points via clapping or online-vote.
The Science Contest will be held in English.
On youtube you can watch the Science Battle 2021 as a full videoExternal link or check out the highlights on youtubeExternal link. You may watch the 2022 and 2023 Science Battle on YouTubeExternal link .
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Our Team
Science Battle 2023 Team Jena
Graphic: Internationales BüroIn the final of the EC2U Science Battle on 18.10.2023 in Poitiers, our interdisciplinary team of Jena scientists and graduates consited of: Paulina Fuentes-Zacarías and Jürgen Kaufmann, Aman Anand, Ege Asutay, Leonie Baldauf and Bharati Daftari-Hölzer. Congratulations on winning the silver medal!
The next team will be formed for the 2026 Science Contest.
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Your questions: what you have always wanted to know
Curious owl and science icons
Collage: Liana Franke, Adobe StockIn the Science Contest, the teams solve questions from the audience. To get an idea of what kind of questions have made it into the last shows, here are a few examples:
- Why are stars and other celestial bodies like Earth almost round, but our solar system flat?
- Is it ethically better to eat insects than meat?
- Why do water pipes freeze faster when the frost subsides?
- Why are humans so selfish?
- How many balloons does it take to lift an 80kg person into the air?
- How can we control the lack of oxygen in the Baltic Sea?
- What is the decisive factor in the fight against cancer?
And which question will you ask the researchers?
Everyone can ask questions - the people in the Jena region as well as members of the Jena universities.
Please mail your questions (keyword "Science Contest") to ec2u@uni-jena.de by 9 September 2024.
Oh yes... and of course you had to be there to see if your question made it into the live show!
Team Iasi celebrates after winning the 2024 EC2U Science Contest
Image: Andreas Roebl (Universität Linz)When? on 23 October 2024, 4:30 - 6:30 p.m.
Where? on site in Linz (Austria) or via YouTubeExternal link.
Our Team/Judge: this time, Jena is represented by a judge, professor Matthias Perkams de.
Language: The Science Contest is always held in English.
Teams and winner 2024: University Iasi (Romania), Salamanca (Spain) and Linz (Austria). Team Iasi won.
Jena won the EC2U Science Battle 2022!
Researchers from the four European universities Jena, Coimbra (Portugal), Iasi (Romania) and Salamanca (Spain) battled against each other in a scientific competition, the Science Battle on 30 September 2022.External link
The Jena team has won and met the 2021 winner, Pavia (ITA), in the Science Battle 2023 in Potiers (FRA). Jena lost by a narrow count.
Watch the 2022 and 2023 Science Battle on YouTubeExternal link.
The Jena Science Battle Team cheers
Image: Jens Meyer (University of Jena)-
Turku Science Battle 2020
In the last on-site Science Battle in Turku in 2020, two teams sought a solution to the questions in their glass cubes.
