Abstract:

Since 2017, Silesian University of Technology is organising experimental, international and interdisciplinary summer schools in the frame of CEEPUS programme directed to PhD students and young academic leaders on post-doc positions.

The concept of the joint schools based on project-based learning, and it was meant as a base for creating an international and interdisciplinary platform enabling future, long-term cooperation between young adepts of science.

Schools had focused on building three types of competences:
• research – in the aspects of team-building in interdisciplinary research, academic leadership, research methodologies and tools, ethics,
• project – in aspects of defining project’s aims and scope, finding partners from different disciplines and countries, project application, project management and communication,
• social – ability to work in the interdisciplinary teams in international ambient, in a foreign language.

Proposed by Silesian University of Technologies summer schools became very popular among young scientist – during three editions participated almost 120 PhD students and post-docs from 14 countries. This innovative educational proposal was originally invented by Silesian University of Technology’s Project Management Center supported by experienced educators and researchers from 6 Faculties and in terms of educational methods guided by the Institute of Education and Communication Research. This new form of summer schools gained the recognition of the National Office for CEEPUS Program.
The paper presents the development of summer schools’ concept and educational methodologies, observations and achievements.

Keywords:

Summer school, leadership, academic leader, international project, project-based method, research project, team-building.