Discover the Highlights of EC2U/FECT Summer School 2026

From 7 to 9 July 2026, Friedrich Schiller University Jena welcomed students from the partner universities of the EC2U Alliance to the international FECT Summer School 2026. Under the theme "Challenging Bias – Intercultural Competencies for Inclusive Higher Education", participants explored unconscious bias, diversity, and equal opportunities in higher education.

A highlight of the programme was the EC2U hybrid lecture by Prof. Dr. Michelle Cummings-Koether (Deggendorf Institute of Technology). Her presentation on international students and structural barriers addressed the challenges international students face in higher education and emphasized that creating inclusive university structures is an institutional responsibility.

The programme also featured a variety of lectures and workshops on intercultural competence, Cultural Border Studies, anti-bias and anti-racist approaches, as well as diversity and inclusion in higher education. Contributions by Prof. Dr. Astrid Fellner, Dr. Charlotte Kaiser, Dr. Thuy Loan Nguyen, Bruno de Jesus Brito Santana, Joelma Santos, and Marieli de Jesus Pereira provided both academic insights and practical perspectives. Through workshops, case studies, collaborative group work, and the Bias & Access Walk across the Jena campus and city, participants exchanged experiences from different European contexts and developed ideas for more inclusive higher education.

The Summer School successfully combined academic input, practice-oriented learning, and international exchange. It offered participants the opportunity to strengthen their intercultural competences while working together on new perspectives for a more diverse and inclusive higher education landscape.

We would like to thank all speakers and participants for their inspiring exchange and active engagement throughout the Summer School. Many thanks to Prof. Dr Christoph Vatter, Nick Ludwig and Marie Kollek for organising the event. We look forward to continuing this dialogue and welcoming everyone to future events within the EC2U Alliance.