The 3rd edition of the EELISA Scientific Student Competition (SSC) was held on June 12–13, 2025, hosted by POLITEHNICA Bucharest and co-organized by BME. Held in a hybrid format, this event has brought together emerging researchers from across Europe.
For the first time, the event was opened to students outside the 10 EELISA member universities, drawing participation from institutions such as La Sapienza University in Rome, the University of Duisburg-Essen, and the University of Manchester. The initiative to broaden participation came in response to growing interest observed during the 2024 Budapest edition.
“We decided to open the competition after receiving significant interest from students at other European universities during last year’s event in Budapest,” said Balázs Kövesdi, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Civil Engineering at BME and co-organizer of the event. “I hope that next year in Madrid, we’ll see even more international participants.”
Over the course of two days, students from all levels presented their research across a diverse range of disciplines, including engineering, architecture, natural sciences, economics, and social sciences. Participants submitted research papers in advance and received expert feedback, presenteiing their findings in structured sessions that mirrored professional academic standards.
A highlight of the program was the Special AI Session, which welcomed new research projects involving the ethical use of AI.
The event concluded with an award ceremony, celebrating the most outstanding papers and innovative contributions, reinforcing the competition’s role as both an academic platform and a springboard for future research and collaboration. Find the winners below:
1st prize Béla Bálint BME
2nd prize Carlos Polvorinos-Fernández, María Centeno Cerrato UPM
Special prize Beatrice-Iuliana Uta UPB
Applied informatics
1st prize Nguyen Hoang Tung BME
2nd prize Csanád Telbisz BME
3rd prize Meggie Krymowski ZHAW
Special prize Alvaro Fontecha del Ser UPM
Special prize Beray Nil Atabey Sapienza University of Rome
Innovative mobility
1st prize Álvaro Cobo González UPM
2nd prize Ana Maria Apostol UPB
3rd prize Cristina-Mihaela Fleaca, Radu Bujdoiu UPB
Life sciences
1st prize Mihai Păduraru UPB
2nd prize John Hernandez FAU
3rd prize Andreea Ioana Dinu UPB
Special prize Lidia Trombello SSSA
Special prize Nuofan Gao SSSA
AI generated responsive science
1st prize Judit Divin BME
2nd prize Patrik Pesti, Botond Biebel BME
Special prize András Gergely Deé-Lukács BME
Architecture
1st prize Geraszin Nikolett BME
2nd prize İnci Çelikbaş ITÜ
2nd prize Réka Podmaniczky BME
Special prize Özlem Sertbaş ITÜ
Smart Production
1st prize Elena Madalina Dobre UPB
2nd prize Alba García Rodríguez UPM
Special prize Mailat Laura UPB
Social Sciences
1st prize Eduárd Bologa BME
2nd prize Adél Lilla Kovics BME
Special prize Viktor Varga BME
Built Environment
1st prize Fanni Gazda BME
2nd prize Miguel Ureña Pliego UPM
3rd prize Darío Fernández Valiente UPM
Special prize Naburuk Victoria Cherotich BME
Special prize Dániel Pongrácz BME
Chemical and Bioengineering
1st prize Balázs Zsolt Kállai BME
2nd prize Marco Hofmann ZHAW
3rd prize Anna Szentirmai BME
Special prize Bence Képes BME
Special prize Stănişteanu Mihai-Laurențiu UPB
Special prize Bence Szabó BME
Automation
1st prize Csanád Budai, Tamás Széles BME
2nd prize Vanda Orsolya Nagy BME
Special prize Patrik Pesti, Márton Berty BME
Special prize Kinga Andrea Kovács BME
Applied Sciences
1st prize Dávid Attila Kóti BME
1st prize Ioana Rasuceanu UPB
2nd prize Joao Gabriel Gomes de Oliveira UPM
2nd prize Lea Ajzenberger BME
Special prize Virág Anna Antal, Lenke Domokos BM
A highlight of the program was the Special AI Session, which welcomed new research projects involving the ethical use of AI.
The event concluded with an award ceremony, celebrating the most outstanding papers and innovative contributions, reinforcing the competition’s role as both an academic platform and a springboard for future research and collaboration.
As EELISA continues to grow as a pan-European alliance for higher education and research, the success of this year’s SSC signals a bright future for student-led scientific inquiry—and a stronger, more connected academic community.
EELISA Student Reporters
During the 3rd Scientific Student Competiotion a pilot experience was launched: The EELISA Student Reporters Initiative. For this event, five students from the hosting institutions were selected to become content creators during for two days. Their mission was to capture key moments, interviews, and behind-the-scenes insights, offering a fresh, student-led perspective on the competition.
The result? A vibrant and engaging compilation of content that reflects the spirit, diversity, and energy of the event, available below.
This article is based on EELISA SSC becomes open European science competition, originally published by BME