For me, ICYS was an experience that offered me completely new perspectives upon my future. It helped me learn about the steps of conducting a research, both by working at my own presentation and attending others. It taught me that the development of science does not reside in competition, but in collaboration, and that science itself should be a joy worth celebrating with the people that share your love for it.

Since my pre-university studies, I have been attracted to participate in many competitions in various technical fields, such as Mathematics, Computer Science, Physics and Biology, where I have obtained wonderful results. Among them, the International Conference of Young Scientists - ICYS - was an unforgettable experience. I participated in two editions: Izmir, Turkey, 2015 and Cluj-Napoca, Romania, 2016, in which I presented two research projects in the "Environmental Science" section and I won the bronze medal in both editions. I had the opportunity to discover the research area, to meet young researchers from all over the world, to discover new fields of research and I grow personally and professionally. From all the professors who guided my steps in making the projects and the presentations I learned a lot of new things that helped me then, but also later in the following projects that I worked on. I remember about this contest and this period with pleasure.

The experience was a pleasant one and unique in terms of developing my communication skills as it has embedded my passion for science even deeper. I’ve participated for the first time at the International Conference of Young Scientist in 2011 in Moscow, where I won the special prize of the jury with my work themed around “Deforestation and ecological imbalances in Cluj County” coordinated by professor Barbu Leonora and Szenkovits Mariana. My second interaction with this conference was under the hat of a volunteer in 2016, which was hosted here in Romania.

In 2009 I had the pleasure to participate in the International Conference of Young Scientists (ICYS) held in Poland with my colleague Valentin Peştean. We were coordinated by Mrs. Szenkovits Mariana and Mrs. Barbu Leonora with the project "Save the Mill Canal". On this occasion, I had the opportunity to evolve my communication skills in front of an audience, thinking, and skills necessary for a research project, and work in 3D modeling with different engines. After years, I look back with enjoyment, realizing the experience gained within ICYS contributed to my further development.

“The International Conference of Young Scientists” represented to me an ideal gateway to the fascinating and intricate field of scientific research. Not only that I learned the complex methodology of developing a research paper, but I also could live for several months the life of a scientist. In addition, ICYS offered me the possibility to directly interact with pupils with similar goals from all around the world, which led to durable friendships and unforgettable memories. The feeling of being in front of the evaluation committee and presenting your results, make you believe that your discovery can make a slight change to a better world. Combining the practical and didactic activities, I could firmly say that ICYS was one of the most important experiences of my entire life, which, certainly, will be continuously reflected in my professional future.