We had the pleasure of attending one of the most exciting conferences ever, everything the heart could desire was there: workshops, pitch sessions, keynotes, networking games, and to round off each day, great parties. IMT Nord Europe didn’t hold back on generosity. They provided accommodation, food, and, most importantly, a space for students to exchange knowledge and culture. The event kicked off with an opening ceremony by the mayor of Douai, who demonstrated his appreciation for international collaboration by speaking in each of the languages represented at the conference. Form that point everything went uphill. 

At this year’s EULiST Student Conference, we moved away from traditional lecture-style formats and instead offered interactive, engaging workshops tailored for students across all academic levels (Bachelor, Master, PhD). The focus was on dialogue, participation, and hands-on learning responding to the positive feedback we received from the previous year.

The workshops:

• Encouraged meaningful interaction between presenters and participants
• Created opportunities for both personal and academic growth
• Simulated real-life situations in an engaging and practical way
• Aligned with the overarching goals and values of the EULiST project

This year, we had the pleasure of experiencing a diverse range of pitches and posters from our participants. We gained valuable insight into the ideas and projects of fellow students, who shared their work through short, engaging pitches designed to inspire and spark conversation. The variety was truly refreshing: some pitches explored "The Austrian Way of Student Housing", others introduced concepts like "A Living Lab for the Future of Mining" or "From Chaos to Clarity: How We Can Make Data Understandable".

The posters were displayed the day after the pitches, giving everyone the chance to revisit the topics and connect with the creators, even if they missed the live presentation.

During the international evening, the participants brought a variety of food and drinks from their hometowns or from the cities where they are studying. These different dishes and beverages set the stage for a wonderful night and a great opportunity to bring students together. It wasn’t just about what the food was, it was also about how, when, and in which settings different cultures enjoy their meals.

Over two inspiring days, students came together for the Green Ideas, Student Power Hackathon, tackling the challenge of reducing the carbon footprint of universities through simple, student led solutions.

The Challenge
Participants were asked to design low-cost, easily implementable ideas that empower students to act independently of university bureaucracy. The focus was on solutions that could reduce emissions from travel, consumption, energy use, and waste and potentially grow into scalable services, startups, or movements. 

Team 4 impressed the jury with a practical solution to one of campus life’s everyday problems: waste sorting. Their concept introduces a scanner above recycling bins in the university canteen. Before throwing an item away, students simply scan its barcode, and the device instantly shows the correct bin color. This simple, student-friendly tool makes recycling effortless, reduces incorrectly sorted waste, and helps create a more sustainable campus.

Gallery

To round off this great conference, the IMT organized a gallery event at the Louvre-Lens. It was modest yet very beautiful. First, the participants had the chance to explore the museum’s exhibition, and afterwards they enjoyed free food and drinks.

Thank you!

Specal thanks to IMT(Institut Mines-Télécom) and the Student board

Furthermore, we extend a special shout out to the people involved in the organization: Lucien Stoven, Simon Los, Georgy Salko, Chiara Bamberg, Gregor Fischer, Jasmin Krüger, Sarah Mária Hiravá, Elisa Kreuzeder, Ludmila Hrachovcová, Nikolaos Argyros, Mohammad Baghaei, Emma Panerai, Yanchao Zhu, Georgia Tritsini, Hugo Jacobsson, Alise Vikele, Gabriel Boudes, Thomas August, Gianrico, Anahita Nouri Langroudi