Young Research Symposium
Young Research Symposium
About the YRS event
The Young Researchers Symposium (YRS) is a one-day event preceding CBOND2026 at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), offering a dedicated platform for early-career scientists. It is aimed at PhD students and junior postdoctoral researchers and is designed to increase visibility through oral presentations while fostering networking with peers and leading experts in chemical bonding.
The Book of Abstracts for the Young Researchers Symposium is now available for download here.
We look forward to welcoming you to Brussels for the Young Research Symposium!
Dr. Bin Wang & Dr. Sergio Moles Quintero
Organizers of the Young Research Symposium
WHEN
Monday
September 7, 2026
WHERE
UResidence (Vrije Universiteit Brussel)
Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Elsene
How can apply as speaker?
We warmly invite early-career researchers to present their work:
- Pre-doctoral candidates (PhD students)
- Junior postdoctoral researchers (within three years of PhD defense)
How can participate?
All registered attendees of the CBOND2026 conference are welcome to attend the symposium as audience members.
Why present at the YRS?
- Increase your visibility within the chemical bonding community
- Receive constructive feedback from peers and senior scientists
- Network with other early-career researchers
- Enrich your conference experience with a dedicated early-career program and professional development opportunities
- Be eligible for two SCM prizes recognizing the best oral contributions
Symposium details
- Date & time: Monday, 7 September 2026 | 9:30–17:00
- Venue: UResidence, VUB Main Campus Etterbeek, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Elsene
- Format: Each selected speaker will have 15 minutes for the presentation followed by 5 minutes for Q&A
- Capacity: 25 oral presentation slots
- Notification: Applicants will be informed of the outcome by July 2026
- Lunch: A complimentary lunch will be provided at the VUB campus restaurant. There is no additional fee, but registration for CBOND2026 is required.
Application requirements
To apply as speaker for the Young Researchers Symposium, you do it through abstract submission:
- Prepare your abstract using the conference template. You can download from here.
- Email your submission to CBOND26@vub.be, attaching the Word file (.docx). In the email subject line, indicate “ORAL Contribution – YRS”.
- Proof of eligibility: please include either a valid student ID or official enrolment confirmation (PhD students), or a copy of your PhD diploma, an official graduation or defence letter indicating the defence date (junior postdoctoral researchers).
- Oral presentation requests will be reviewed by the National and International Scientific Committees. If not selected for an oral slot, your submission will be considered for a poster presentation at CBOND2026 with your approval. Only registered participants will be considered for abstract submission.
For any questions, please contact CBOND26@vub.be.
The 5th European Symposium of Chemical Bonding in Brussels