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The Cologne Summer School: A Global Experience

The Cologne Summer School is a two-and-a-half-week program that brought together 33 participants from 17 countries. As every year, our main focus is high-standard education, networking, and intercultural exchange, which are integral parts of the Cologne Summer Schools. We strongly believe that the participants are not just beneficiaries of the academic program, but the core of the program itself.
The participants are the heart of our Summer School, making it a lively, intercultural, educational, and unforgettable experience. This year, we received applications from students from all over the world and across various countries and fields of study. After a competitive selection process, we were fortunate to welcome 33 students from four different continents and 17 countries. Our hybrid concept, which we update and further develop every year, allows us to offer the summer school experience to students globally, considering their individual needs and circumstances. During the program, we had 12 students from 6 different countries participating online, interacting with the onsite group. This created a diverse representation of 17 countries in total, with 21 participants engaging in the academic and cultural program in and live from Cologne.
To foster interpersonal exchange and encourage group cohesion, we dedicated extra time at the beginning of the program for participants to get to know each other beyond academic topics and to take part in intercultural training and social activities.

testimonial from online participant

As someone deeply interested in the field of migration, this program exceeded my expectations in every way. (...) The sense of community and the diversity of backgrounds among both students and instructors created an environment that fostered meaningful discussions and connections. It was inspiring to engage with people who were equally passionate about understanding the complexities of migration. (...) In summary, my time at the University of Cologne's Summer School for Migration Studies was a profoundly rewarding experience. It equipped me with not only knowledge but also the skills and perspective needed to make a meaningful contribution in the field of migration. I wholeheartedly recommend this program to anyone interested in understanding and addressing one of the most critical issues of our time.

Hao Zhang, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Netherlands
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  • Copyright: Cologne Summer Schools
  • Copyright: Cologne Summer Schools
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  • Copyright: Cologne Summer Schools
  • Copyright: Cologne Summer Schools
testimonial from online participant

The summer school was planned for 16 days, but now when the course is about to end, it feels like it started just yesterday. The lectures, discussions, interactions, fun tasks, and the buddy program never made me feel that I had been sitting before the computer for 4 hours. It was the first time that I was studying with students from all over the world. They offered me some entirely new perspectives of seeing things which I could never have received otherwise.

Aditya Patel, Jawaharlal Nehru University, India
Copyright: Cologne Summer Schools

Our participants came from partner universities worldwide and Santander's international network of universities. The program was open to all university majors and advanced Bachelor and Master students, providing a unique opportunity to connect and network with students from various academic fields. The selected participants, with their diverse perspectives on the topic Migration and their different approaches to scientific methods, epistemology and research paradigms contributed immensely to the multidisciplinary summer school program.

Throughout the program, participants engaged in academic sessions, hands-on workshops and site visits with local partners in Cologne. Taught by lecturers from the University of Cologne and its partner universities, the hybrid classes allowed participants to discuss this year's topic from different disciplines and points of view. They gained knowledge about categories and causes of migration and a deeper understanding of various aspects related to the study of human mobility.

Below you see the list of countries and universities of onsite and online participating students. If you are still wondering whether to apply for next year's project, you should not be hesitating anymore. The Cologne Summer School is the place to be for a truly global experience!

  Country of origin Participation format University
1

Colombia

onsite

Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina

2

Ecuador

onsite

Linnaeus University, Sweden

3

India

onsite

Jawaharlal Nehru University, India

4

India

onsite

Jawaharlal Nehru University, India

5

Italy

onsite

University of Trento, Italy

6

Mexico

onsite

Universidad de Guadalajara, Mexico / Universität Leipzig, Germany

7

Mexico

onsite

Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico

8

Mexico

onsite

Universidad de Guadalajara, Mexico

9

Mexico

onsite

University of Guadalajara, Mexico

10

Myanmar

onsite

Chulalongkorn University, Thailand

11

Namibia

onsite

University of Namibia, Namibia

12

Namibia

onsite

University of Namibia, Namibia

13

Poland

onsite

University of Warsaw, Poland

14

Spain

onsite

University of Salamanca, Spain

15

Spain

onsite

Pompeu Fabra University, Spain

16

Sri Lanka

onsite

Linnaeus University, Sweden

17

Ukraine

onsite

Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Ukraine

18

Ukraine

onsite

University of Helsinki, Finland

19

United States of America

onsite

University of South Alabama, USA

20

Vietnam

onsite

KU Leuven, Belgium

21

Vietnam

onsite

KU Leuven, Belgium

22

Cameroon

online

University of Bamenda, Cameroon

23

China

online

Erasmus University Rotterdam, Netherlands

24

Greece

online

University of Cologne, Germany

25

India

online

Jawaharlal Nehru University, India

26

India

online

Symbiosis International University, India

27

India

online

Jawaharlal Nehru University, India

28

Mexico

online

University of Guadalajara, Mexico

29

Mexico

online

University of Guadalajara, Mexico

30

Mexico

online

Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM), Mexico

31

Mexico

online

Universidad de Guadalajara, Mexico

32

Nigeria

online

Afe Babalola University, Nigeria

33

Nigeria

online

Afe Babalola University, Nigeria

Project Team

Dr. Sabine Päsler-Ehlen (pronouns she/her)
Project Coordinator Cologne Summer Schools

Jukka Jokela M.A. (pronouns he/him)

Project Manager Cologne Summer Schools

Telefon +49-221-470 1394
E-Mail CologneSummerSchools[at]verw.uni-koeln.de