European Researchers’ Night at LBTU: "Uncover the Researcher Gene Within You!"
On September 26, from 18:00 to 22:00, the Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies (LBTU) invites everyone to European Researchers’ Night: "Uncover the LBTU Researcher Gene Within You." Visitors will meet researchers, explore their daily work, and gain insights into a variety of scientific fields. The event will take place at several locations in Jelgava: Lielā iela 2 (Jelgava Palace), J. Čakstes bulvaris 5 (Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology), and Akadēmijas iela 11 (Faculty of Forest and Environmental Sciences).
European Researchers’ Night aims to broaden public knowledge, highlight scientific achievements, and promote STEM education—especially among young people—while showing the importance of science in everyday life and its potential for future careers.
The LBTU program reflects the everyday work of researchers across food, chemistry, and biology experiments, as well as demonstrations in engineering, veterinary medicine, forestry, and digital technologies. Highlights include:
The Faculty of Agriculture and Food Technology (LPTF) will invite guests to test seed knowledge, explore mint and mint products, and create a body scrub. Chemistry lovers can enjoy experiments with volcanoes, lava lamps, and elephant toothpaste. In "Food Detective," visitors will study products under a microscope, test natural indicators, and win tasty prizes. A highlight will be the molecular gastronomy workshop "Edible Clouds," with foam-making secrets and a fun contest.
Venue: Liela iela 2, Jelgava
The Faculty of Engineering and Information Technologies (IITF) will showcase how creativity meets technology through embroidery workshops where visitors can renew and personalize clothing. Guests can also explore drones, watch demonstrations, and test their knowledge in a quiz.
Venue: J. Čakstes bulvaris 5, Jelgava
The Faculty of Forest and Environmental Sciences (MVZF) will highlight modern environmental practices. Activities include the oak-themed "O-A-K Up Close," tree discovery in the faculty park, workshops on Da Vinci bridge building and wood strength, and demonstrations of land surveying technologies (GNSS, laser scanning, tacheometers).
Venues: Lielā iela 2 and Akadēmijas iela 11, Jelgava
Other activities include remote sensing demos, Baltic Sea crust studies, phosphorus discovery, a hydroponics game, water quality insights, the creative "Dream Tree," a student-invented LED stand, and robot car driving.
The Faculty of Economics and Social Development (ESAF) invites visitors to try the "Sociologist’s Microscope" and the interactive "Product Life Cycle Puzzle."
Venue: Lielā iela 2, Jelgava
The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (VMF) offers hands-on activities: "Whose Bones Are These?" (animal anatomy), "Parasite or Pest?" (organism knowledge), "Where Are the Bacteria Hiding?" (bacteria observation), and the creative “New Microorganisms."
Venue: Lielā iela 2, Jelgava
At Jelgava Palace, visitors can explore LBTU study programs, visit the Jelgava Palace Museum with an exhibition of landscape architecture student models, enjoy Dace Štrausa’s Horses in the Palace painting exhibition, and capture memories in a photo corner.
Venue: Lielā iela 2, Jelgava
Researchers’ Night is part of a large-scale European science communication initiative that takes place simultaneously in many countries. In Latvia, the initiative and its communication are coordinated by the Ministry of Education and Science in cooperation with scientific institutions, universities, schools, and innovation centres. All events can be found in one place on an interactive digital map: https://www.researchlatvia.gov.lv/en/science-night
