The Power of Knowledge in Action at the Viruskenner Final Day
On April 8th, 2025, the sixteenth edition of the Viruskenner Final Day took place at the Arminius Church in Rotterdam. This day marked the festive conclusion of the Viruskenner program, which began in September at eleven schools in the Netherlands, two in Belgium, two in Suriname, and one in Italy. For both students and teachers, it promised to be an exciting day: while participation is more important than winning, taking home a prize is certainly a nice bonus!
From Virus Project to Winning Pitch
In addition to the regular Viruskenner project, this year also introduced the special challenge Virus Hunter. In this challenge, students explored unknown viruses that might pose a future threat—due to factors like climate change or changing travel behavior. The teams from Houtkamp College in Doetinchem and CSG Prins Maurits in Middelharnis emerged as winners. They will soon receive a visit from Roland Pele to explore how their ideas can be further developed into a tangible product for the Hygiëne Helpt website.
Students had several opportunities to win prizes. The first was for the best project and the best pitch—the result of 8 to 9 weeks of work, in which each group dove deep into a specific virus. The expert jury evaluated each project based on three criteria: societal relevance, scientific accuracy, and creativity. Projects that excelled in one or more of these areas received a trophy. Naturally, the overall score also played a role in the final evaluation.
Prizes also went to teams from Italy, Belgium, and Suriname; Viruskenner coaches had previously traveled to the participating schools to select the best projects on-site. The winning project from each country was presented on the big screen in Rotterdam. We are proud of Viruskenner’s international scope, which highlights the importance of borderless collaboration in interdisciplinary sciences such as virology. We are already looking forward to welcoming even more international schools in future editions.
Creative Workshops on Science Communication
To ease the tension of the presentations, students could express their creativity through workshops. Linda Grool and Sabine Hetebrij challenged participants to capture the concept of “virus” in an abstract way during a photography workshop. Meanwhile, Francis Limón taught students how to effectively communicate scientific concepts through drawing. These turned out to be perfect activities to unwind and let creativity flow freely. The results spoke for themselves: workshop winners were celebrated on screen and proudly received their well-earned Viruskenner merchandise.
Who Has the Strongest Antivirus?
Who holds the most viral knowledge in their arsenal? Who earns the title of Viruskenner 2025? During the grand quiz, students competed fiercely for that coveted title. With 30 challenging questions about viruses, bacteria, symptoms, and transmission routes, their knowledge was thoroughly tested. In the end, Boris-Jan proved to have the strongest “antivirus” and proudly brought the Viruskenner title back to Pieter Zeeman College in Zierikzee.
An Inspiring Day Full of Knowledge and Creativity
The Final Day was a success not only because of the prizes and atmosphere, but also due to the impressive dedication of the students and the innovative ideas they presented. Jury members, volunteers, and teachers were visibly impressed. We encourage all participants to continue using their creative thinking—your fresh perspective is essential in the fight against viruses. It’s inspiring to see a new generation of Viruskenners rising up, full of initiative and imagination!