European Researcher’s Night in Split

On September 26th, 2025, Split once again joined the European Researchers’ Night – a lively celebration of science and discovery that took place simultaneously in Dubrovnik, Zadar, Rijeka and Pula. This European initiative, traditionally held on the last Friday in September, aims to bring science closer to the public in an engaging and accessible way. Visitors of all ages could take part in hands-on experiments, workshops, exhibitions, and games, discovering how research impacts everyday life.

This year’s event was organized within the framework of the project Blue-connect 2.0 – Reconnecting Science with the Blue Society, funded by the Horizon Europe programme. The project gathers universities and institutes from five Croatian coastal cities, with the mission of strengthening public understanding of science, encouraging young people towards research careers, and highlighting challenges and opportunities connected to the Mediterranean and the “blue society.”

The SEA-EU office in Split was delighted to take part in this important initiative. We held a short presentation about the SEA-EU Alliance and its new joint study programmes, followed by a fun quiz to see what visitors had remembered. Those who gave the best answers were rewarded with cool SEA-EU prizes. In addition, we shared informative flyers and distributed plenty of SEA-EU goodies as part of our dissemination efforts. Beyond the activities at the stand, we were pleased to establish potential new contacts with local high schools and young researchers. We are especially looking forward to the possibility of giving a lecture at the International High School in Split in the near future.

As part of the accompanying programme “Researchers at Schools”, SEA-EU Split also joined activities designed to showcase research work and interact directly with pupils, teachers and educators. Within this framework, we visited Kindergarten Agava, where we prepared a cheerful and playful presentation about the sea and how to take care of it. The children decorated T-shirts, portraying themselves as “guardians of the sea,” and their imagination sparked plenty of laughter. Together, we carried out a simple but exciting volcano experiment – with bubbling “lava” that amazed the kids and encouraged their curiosity about the world around them.

These activities aim to inspire the youngest generations to think about global challenges related to climate change, sustainable development, health and broader initiatives such as the European Green Deal and the EU Missions. By bringing science into kindergartens, schools and other pedagogical and educational centres, SEA-EU contributes to building awareness of how research connects to everyday life and future careers. We believe that children should be shown as many paths of discovery as possible, so they can find their own way in the future. Naturally, we ended our visit with bright smiles and a joyful group photo.

The European Researchers’ Night once again reminded us how powerful it is to connect science with society. For the SEA-EU, it was both a chance to share our mission and a meaningful moment of dialogue with the youngest members of our community as well as with future researchers.

And if laughter, volcanoes, and curious questions are any measure — science has never been more fun in Split!