Doctoral Researcher Summer School 2026 Developing Transdisciplinary Practice to tackle complex challenges

Are you ready to expand your research horizons in a stimulating international environment? Do you want to experience teamwork in a transdisciplinary setting?

Åbo Akademi University is hosting an interdisciplinary Summer School dedicated to doctoral researchers from all fields. You will develop transdisciplinary skills working on real-life challenges together with other doctoral researchers and stakeholders to address complex topics of our time.

When?

Online preparatory sessions of 2 hours each (three slots, dates TBD)
June 8-12, 2026: Intensive on-site program in Åbo/Turku Finland

Where?

Åbo Akademi University, Turku

Aim of the summer school

This Summer School is designed to equip doctoral researchers with the skills and knowledge to address complex, real-world challenges through transdisciplinary collaboration.

Highlights:

Stakeholders: Learn from stakeholders and work with them on real-life challenges within their field of expertise
Networking: create meaningful connections with fellow doctoral researchers from various disciplines and expand your professional network in an international context
Skill Development: Engage in interactive workshops and team-building activities to enhance problem solving skills, interculturality, and transdisciplinary practices.

Who can participate?

This program is open to all doctoral researchers within the CHARM-EU alliance.

27 selected doctoral researchers will be invited to participate in person (3 per CHARM-EU university)
No registration fees
Support available for travel and accommodation expenses through your Erasmus+ mobility grant (to by confirmed by your home university)

Please note that the whole programme is in English so an advanced level is mandatory in order to participate.

Programme

The Doctoral Summer School offers a unique opportunity for PhD students from across Europe to collaboratively draft a transdisciplinary research proposal. Participants will be grouped into teams with peers from diverse disciplines, fostering cross-disciplinary collaboration and innovation. The program is guided by experienced researchers who will mentor the teams throughout the process. Through a combination of online and onsite workshops and presentations, students will receive training on how to design and develop a transdisciplinary research project, enhancing their ability to address complex global challenges through collective expertise.

Hybrid format: Combines online preparation (20 hours of prework and facilitated activities) with five days of intensive onsite workshops.

Detailed programme coming soon.

How to candidate?

Interested doctoral researchers should send a CV and a cover letter in English to your home university point of contact listed below before 15/02/2026.

Some universities would require you to also send a C1 English certificate (check your institution’s internal call).

University of Barcelona	Submit through this form.
Utrecht University	r.l.giethoorn@uu.nl
Eötvös Loránd University Budapest	horvath.zsolt@btk.elte.hu
University of Montpellier	collegedoctoral@umontpellier.fr
Åbo Akademi University	graduateschool@abo.fi
Julius Maximilians University of Würzburg	martin.kufferath-sieberin@uni-wuerzburg.de
University of Applied Sciences Ruhr West	charm-eu@hs-ruhrwest.de
University of Bergen	Sol.Sneltvedt@uib.no
Trinity College Dublin	charm-eu@tcd.ie