Closing date: Wednesday 24 March, 16:00 UTC
The ACU is seeking proposals from member universities to host the 2022 and 2023 ACU Summer Schools. Hosting an ACU Summer School is a great way to boost your university’s visibility to international students and academics.
The ACU’s Summer School brings together 40-50 students from around the Commonwealth for an exciting week of expert lectures, group project work, field trips, skills development, and social and cultural activities. Launched in 2011, the ACU Summer School is hosted by a different ACU member institution every year.
The Summer School is open to postgraduate and final-year undergraduate students from Commonwealth universities. Each year, ACU-funded bursaries are available for approximately 50% of participants from member universities who have not previously had the opportunity to travel overseas.
Taking part in an international summer school is a great way for students to learn new skills, increase their intercultural understanding, and build diverse new networks.
We delivered the ACU Summer School virtually last year due to the pandemic. For ACU Summer School 2022 and 2023, we are seeking proposals for a physical event only. It should be noted that the ACU is prepared to work with hosts to deliver the event virtually if deemed necessary.
Students often tell us they find attending the Summer School to be transformational. Arif from COMSATS University in Pakistan attended the 2019 Summer School in Mauritius:
I have before never been out of Pakistan and it was my first experience in the piece of heaven (Mauritius). ACU has provided me an opportunity to interact with fifteen different cultures and to understand global public health issues. It was life changing.
- Arif, ACU Summer School 2019 delegate
Themes, eligibility and timelines
For the 2022 and 2023 events, the ACU is seeking proposals on topics linked to the following themes:
Other strong themes linked to the Sustainable Development Goals will also be considered. Please avoid topics offered as part of one of the previous summer schools. Details of recent topics and hosts can be found on the ACU Summer School page. The ACU is particularly keen to receive proposals from institutions in countries which have not hosted the summer school in the last three years.
The event should be planned for June, July or August 2022/2023. Proposals from institutions in the southern hemisphere for which this would be a winter school are warmly welcomed.
What do I need to submit?
As part of the proposal, you must submit the following:
Host and ACU responsibilities
Summer School hosts are required to:
ACU support
The ACU will:
Proposal form
Submit an online proposal form.
Deadline: Wednesday 24 March, 16:00 UTC
Contact us if you have queries which are not answered above.