Funded by the European Union as part of the ENEN2plus project, the 4th European Nuclear Competition for Secondary Schools was held in Bologna (Italy) during the week of July 14–18, 2025.

The goal of the event was to engage high school students from across Europe with videos they created on various nuclear themes (radioactive waste management, nuclear fission and fusion, environmental radioactivity, nuclear forensics, etc.). Each team consisted of two pupils and one teacher.

More than 135 eligible teams participated, of which only 15 were selected to attend the week-long Nuclear Science Camp in Italy. The finalist teams came from 10 countries, including Bulgaria (3), Romania (3), Turkey (2), Hungary (1), Montenegro (1), Norway (1), Portugal (1), Sweden (1), Ukraine (1), and United Kingdom (1).

During the Science Camp, each of the 15 finalist teams had to present their work on July 15th. Each team was allocated 15 minutes, which included a maximum 5-minute PowerPoint presentation and the 3–4-minute video screening, followed by comments and questions from the Jury.

The Jury, which consisted of 10 experts from organizations like ENEA, CIRTEN, ENEN, ENS, RATEN, SCK CEN, and UNIVLEEDS was tasked with selecting the "Best Video". The topics covered by the students were diverse, including nuclear forensics, nuclear applications in art, nuclear science education, nuclear applications in agriculture, nuclear applications in medicine, nuclear energy and sustainability, nuclear power technologies, decommissioning, SMR (Small Modular Reactors), and neutron stars.

The general quality of the team's presentation contributed to the final evaluation. The winners would receive significant monetary awards, with €2500 initially allocated for prizes.

The competition also featured an award for the “Best team,” based on scores from a quiz and other activities during the event.

During the week, the students were able to deepen their knowledge of nuclear topics through a detailed program that included:

• Presentations and discussions with professors and researchers.
• A Classic Guided Tour with a Focus on Scientific Bologna.
• A technical visit to the ENEA-Brasimone Research Centre.
• A Cross Young Generation Network (YGN) Workshop organized after the ENEA visit.
• A "Quiz" session based on the content of the 15 finalist videos.
• A social activity organized by Jakob Luyten to involve students in popular science.
• A final Awards Ceremony and Round Tables for teachers and pupils on July 18th.

The three winners were (in alphabetical order): NUCLEAR DETECTIVES from Bulgaria, NUCLEAR PETs from Romania, QUANTUM CROP from Bulgaria.

Thanks to this event, connections have opened up with high schools in other European countries, including Ukraine and Bulgaria. With the latter, we are planning a meeting in 2026 with high school students from Bologna.