Cologne Summer School on Equality of Opportunity from July 18 - August 3, 2022
Fairness and equality are topics with high societal value in today’s world. Societies become more sensitive to inequality and are implementing measures on different levels to try to compensate for unfairness. But how do we define inequality? Is it just about differences in income and wealth distribution, achievement, access to education or other goods? How do we prioritize and handle unfairness to best individual’s interest?
The questions we will be asking during the summer school are sorted into the following subtopics: Politics, Economics, Social Sciences, Psychology, Health, Teacher Education, Arts and Culture
WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT FROM THIS SUMMER SCHOOL?
We will embark on this academic journey by diving into different disciplines and have workshops and lectures with scholars with economic, sociological, educational, health, psychological and art and cultures background. The goal of this program is to introduce students to the current research in various academic fields associated with inequality and address the topic of inequality with discipline-specific methodological lens. We will approach the definitions of (in)equality and the current challenges that every discipline identifies. If for the area of teacher education it could be multiculturalism and its implications for language acquisition in school, economists discuss where to set priorities - on the distribution of wealth world-wide meaning equality of outcome or on raising opportunities in the lower social classes (equality of opportunity).
The common ground is to be discussed on a interdisciplinary scale. The learning outcome of the programme is to provide knowledge about scientifically different approaches to (in)equality, contextualisation of the phenomena on a interdisciplinary level and in-depth analysis in the academic fields. Participants will benefit from the opportunity to get acquainted with „non-native“ methods and engage in in-depth discussions with international students from various cultural and academic backgrounds. Finally, we will debate on the questions what could be discipline-specific definitions of balance between (in)equality and fairness and how can we achieve equality without comprimising fairness, individual freedoms and rights.
Join us for our 10-year anniversary
This year we have a very special reason to celebrate. Cologne Summer Schools turns 10 years!
We are inviting you to celebrate with us on July 16th and 17th. The selected applicants who will participate onsite in Cologne will be invited to arrive on July 15th and join us for the celebration events. Accommodation costs and catering will be covered by us. Stay tuned for more updates.
We are looking forward to celebrating this wonderful milestone with you.
Sounds interesting?
Below you will find links to the flyer and the application form. We are looking forward to your application!
Click through all sections to inform yourself about the requirements
Application Requirements FAQs
What are the application requirements?
You have to be a student of the University of Cologne OR a student of a partner university of the University of Cologne. If you don’t know whether your university is part of the network, please inquire at your International Office.
You also need a certificate in English language (preferably C1). See next questions for more details or click on the program flyer.
What about the corona restricitions? I still wonder whether to apply or not given the circumstances.
The current hygiene and protection measures of the University of Cologne dated 18.9.2021 expired on 31.3.2022 and will not be extended. The requirements that will apply from 3.4.2022, especially in the area of teaching, have not yet been issued by the state of North-Rhine Westfalia (NRW) and are currently unknown. We will inform you separately about our own regulations. Please stay up to date and inform yourself regularly about changes. Visit this offcial info page of UoC and this page of International Office.
What are the current covid-19 entry and quarantine regulations in Germany?
You will find this information on the page of the Federal Foreign Office. You can also do a quick check on this page whether your country is currently listed as a risk area. Please note that when travelling to Germany the country you are flying from is the determining factor! If you are from Brazil, but have spent the last 10 days (or more) in the USA, according to the covid restrictions you are considered a traveller from the USA.
What does the hybrid format actually mean?
With the hybrid format we can guarantee that the summer school weill be accessible for students from our partner institutions regardless of the local restrictions. We offer you two participation options: onsite and online. Please note that the online groups will join only the inline lectures and workshops and participates therefore part-time. You can find detailed information on them in the flyer linked below.
Do I have to pay tuition fees for this course?
No. As a student of one of the partner universities of the University of Cologne OR as a student of the University of Cologne you do not have to pay any tuition fees.
Which costs does Cologne Summer Schools cover for me?
If you are granted full scholarship, you receive full coverage of travel costs to and from Cologne, tuition fees, accommodation in a hostel with breakfast, cultural activities and events. You can find detailed information on the scholarship types in the flyer.
The onsite scholarship includes full coverage of tuition fees, accommodation in a hostel with breakfast, cultural activities and events.
The online scholarship covers tuition fees, online cultural activities and events.
Which costs do I take care of by myself?
Any leisure activities that are not part of the program and you decide to undertake in your free time- travels to nearby cities, shopping etc.
Not required for native speakers or persons who study entirely in English
You will be asked to verify that you study in English in the application form
CV (up to 2 pages)
Transcript of Records in English
Video of Motivation in English: This is a new requirement. Instead of uploading a letter of motivation you must upload a video in which you introduce yourself and explain your motivation for your application for the summer school. Please upload the video to a website or a sharing platform of your choice and insert the link into the box included in the online application form. Video settings can be set on private (or “not listed” for Youtube). If you use a cloud service for the upload, please make sure that the link does not expire! We will use the videos only for the purpose of selection and we will not hand them over to third- parties. All applications are deleted after the end of the summer school.
Which English level is required?
Since the program is thaught entirely in English and your active participantion is essential for the group work sessions and preparation of final presentation, we require a certificate of English proficiency. We accept the most common certificates with these scores: TOEFL iTP (627–677), TOEFL iBT (95-120), IELTS (6.5-9), Cambridge Advanced (C1) or Proficiency (C2) Certificate.
You do not need a language certificate if:
English is your native language
If your university degree is thaught entirely in English. Please provide us with a verification (e.g. website of your study program or transcript of records)
The application form will consider all of these factors and adjust accordingly.
What are the selection criteria?
A selection committee will choose the students according to the following criteria:
Grade point average of your university performance
Grade point average of your English proficiency certificate (minimum of C1)
Quality of your video of motivation. This is a new requirement. Instead of uploading a letter of motivation you must upload a video in which you introduce yourself and explain your motivation for your application for the summer school.
Relevant extra curricular activities
Willingness to participate in offered an online spot
When will I know if I was selected?
Admission decisions will be sent via email to each chosen canditate maximum a month after the application deadline has ended. To ensure we reach you, please make sure that your contact information in the application is legible. Also, check regularly your spam box.
All applicants will receive an email with either an admission or a rejection letter.
Which type of scholarship can I apply for?
This year we grant full scholarships, onsite and online scholarships. You can find detailed information on the scholarship types in the flyer linked above.
Can I acquire ECTS with my participation in the summer school?
Yes. Upon successful participation in the summer school, which consists of attending all classes and completing a final group project, you will receive a certificate. Onsite participants will be granted 4 ECTS, online participants will receive 2 ECTS since they will take part in fewer classes. Every student is self-responsible for the communication with their home university and the procedure of acknowledgement of the ECTS.
Do I need a visa for travelling to Germany?
International students from the following countries do not need a visa to enter Germany, but need to bring a valid personal identity card or passport:
students from EU countries, the European Economic Area, and Switzerland (personal identity card)
students from Andorra, Australia, Brazil, El Salvador, Honduras, Israel, Japan, Canada, Republic of Korea, Monaco, New Zeeland, San Marino, and the USA (passport)
All other students must apply for a visa in their home country before travelling to Germany.
Before applying, please note:
Processing times for visa applications take at least two months. Therefore we highly recommend you to apply for the visa immediately upon receipt of your admission to the summer school.
The International Office of the University of Cologne is not responsible for arranging your visa. We will send you an official invitation letter which to attach to your visa application as the reason you wish to travel to Germany.
On the planned date of departure from Germany, your passport should have at least another three months validity. It should also contain at leasttwo empty pages where the visa can be inserted.
For further information please visit the following websites or contact the offices of German consulates and embassies in your home country
