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The Fourteenth ECerS Conference for Young Scientists in Ceramics (CYSC 2021) took place at University of Novi Sad in Serbia on October 20-23, 2021 and it was the first international scientific conference that I had the opportunity to participate in. The conference was held in person despite the pandemic. I find it admirable that the organizers were able to overcome this obstacle and that they managed very well to provide all the necessary health measures. Overall, this event was a great opportunity for young scientists in ceramics to present their research, and, thanks to the in-person mode, to create friendships and find important professional connections as well.

The conference was composed from various invited speeches held each day and many different sessions (Ceramic Processing, Engineering and Refractory Ceramics, Bioceramics, Electroceramics, Catalysts, Ionic Conductors, Optics, Traditional Ceramics), where young ceramists presented their scientific work. Another part of the conference was the Student Speech Contest, where the selected students from each European country presented their research in front of the jury.

My presentation about pure tin oxide ceramics was part of Ceramic Processing session, where I showed how this very unusual model system can be used to demonstrate the effects of microstructural changes on effective properties without the otherwise dominating effect of changes in porosity. Since it was my first participation in an international conference, I felt quite nervous, especially when I found out that my presentation is scheduled on the first conference day. However, in the end I was glad that after the first day, I could enjoy the conference without being nervous and stay focused on the presentations of other participants.

Another part of the conference that I really enjoyed was the conference dinner, where all the participants gathered together, enjoyed delicious food and a bit of Serbian culture. Besides that, during this evening, Dr. Ivan Stijepović said a few nice words about organizing the conference and the obstacles that they have faced during the past years, Soňa Hříbalová presented the Young Ceramists Network and finally, the winners of the Student Speech Contest were announced. 

To sum it up, it was really beneficial for me to see the given presentations with different approaches of each of the participants in their work and to learn about the current research topics. In the end I must say that this conference was an amazing experience for me and I am glad I could be part of it. Finally, I would like to encourage all young researchers to not be afraid and participate in these kinds of events, because it is an irreplaceable experience and opportunity to learn to give presentations and to meet their colleagues from different countries and to connect with them. Lastly, I would like to thank the conference organizers very much for their excellent work.

Petra Šimonová, UCT Prague, Department of Glass and Ceramics, https://sil.vscht.cz/o-ustavu/lide/simonova?jazyk=en