Polarisation
Join us for the third edition of our highly successful joint summer school on polarisation, representing a newly established collaboration between the University of Groningen and Stellenbosch University in South Africa.
This edition will be held in Groningen and we will be joined by both staff and students from South Africa. During the summer school you get the opportunity to work together with researchers from both universities who work in (social) psychology, philosophy, journalism and media studies, sociology, critical linguistics, and other relevant disciplines. You will learn about and engage with current debates and emerging research insights which address and analyse our polarised times, and will work together in mixed groups (both in terms of discipline and country of study) on developing an intervention to mitigate against processes of polarisation in a specific context, brought in as a challenge by external societal partners.
The programme consists of a combination of preparatory self-study, an on-site programme in Groningen, and a final group project, the outcome of which will be submitted after the summer school. An important component of this school will be its interactive nature, with active discussion and critical reflection by participants, enabling valuable exchange across disciplines and geographical contexts.
Why polarisation?
Around the world, political and societal discourse is suffering from an increasingly polarised public sphere. Polarisation occurs when the ‘middle’ is lost, and society divides into largely separate and non-interacting groups, with no sense of common ground and loss of mutual understanding and cooperation. Polarisation dynamics play out within specific ‘issues’ (think of climate change, vaccination policies, social justice topics), as well as more generally in the public sphere, with distrust, lack of interaction, and distaste, anger or even loathing resulting between members of opposing ‘camps’.
The polarisation of the public sphere diminishes the space for constructive and collaborative processes, and in this way it undermines democracy, as well as our ability to collectively address the enormous challenges of our time, such as the climate crisis and societal inequality. There is thus an urgent need to understand the dynamics of polarisation and how they play out in our societies, so that we can work to counteract them.
Polarisation is a highly interdisciplinary topic and this summer school gives you the chance to address the topic from multiple perspectives, learning from researchers across disciplines and practitioners working at societal partners.
Why join this summer school?
Participants will not only gain valuable insights into the multifaceted phenomenon of polarisation, but also become part of an international, transdisciplinary network of scholars working on this and related topics. The summer school will help participants develop key skills, including analysing polarisation through multiple lenses, critically evaluating interventions aimed at reducing polarisation, and recognizing how polarisation can take different forms across societal contexts in both the Global North and Global South — with a particular focus on the Netherlands and South Africa.
The summer school has been evaluated with an average rating of 8.8 over both years; see below for testimonials from previous participants.
Practical information
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Dates
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22-26 June 2026
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Location
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Groningen, the Netherlands
Please note that there will be online sessions before and after.
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Level
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BA/MA/(PhD if places available) |
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Fees
(including lunches) |
€ 650 standard participation fee
€ 350 for UG students
We have a few spots for a registration fee waiver for RUG and Stellenbosch University students. If you would like to be considered for a fee waiver, please give a short explanation of your motivation in your motivation letter.
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Academic coordinators
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Marian Counihan, UCG |
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Contact |
Alette Arendshorst LLM
polarisation rug.nl
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Requirements
Who is this summer school for?
The summer school is offered to advanced bachelor and masters students at both the University of Groningen and Stellenbosch University, as well as external students and PhD students.
Required background knowledge
The course is designed for advanced bachelor / honours / master students with backgrounds in relevant disciplines from the social sciences or humanities including (social) psychology, philosophy, political science, sociology, linguistics, history, law etc.
It is expected that the participants have a sufficient command of the English language to actively participate in the discussions and to present their own work in English.
Course schedule
The summer school has an innovative blended and transdisciplinary format. The educational programme will consist of a combination of preparatory self-study sessions, (online) lectures, workshops, discussion groups, case studies, as well as a group project conducted after the week together online. Besides lectures by multidisciplinary staff from both universities, an important component of this school will be the use of interactive learning methods in a dynamic hybrid environment, with active discussion and critical reflection by participants.
Topics addressed in the summer school will include:
● Conceptual framework of polarisation: different definitions, indicators of polarisation
● Political polarisation: populism, loss of trust, loss of political ‘middle’
● Polarisation dynamics in social groups, both online and offline.
● Transitional justice: addressing past wrongs, present polarisation.
● Polarisation in the media – including algorithmic bias in social media, science reporting
● Epistemic polarisation: echo chambers, epistemic vice
● Polarisation in relation to the environment, climate, etc.
● Polarisation relating to language: language nationalism, polarisation in a multilingual society/institutions, polarising rhetoric
● Polarisation around religion and gender in international politics that affect international development
● Reduction of polarisation: interventions, working mechanisms
Testimonials
What past participants have said
Participants from the first editions of the summer school have indicated that the summer school helped them get into PhD programmes as well as masters programmes. There is the possibility to receive digital creditatials in the form of proof of competence on completing the programme, which you can use to showcase this additional training and experience for future academic and professional opportunities.
What participants from previous editions have said:
“I've been telling anyone willing to listen about how life-changing this experience was. I was in a space where I felt so academically uninspired and that week just completely reignited my passion for research and how to make my research more important.”
“It was so amazing getting to know about research outside of what I have been focusing on for my degrees and meeting people with different perspectives has helped me become more open-minded.”
“The added value of the course lies in enhancing mediation, perspective-taking, and the ability to adopt social positions within various social dilemmas.”
“It taught me how to engage and work together with individuals from various disciplines on a practical issue - I have not done this before in an academic setting. I think inter-disciplinary research is crucial for academia and this has given me valuable experience in that regard.”
“My compliments to all organizers of this summer school; you did an amazing job!”
Learning outcomes
Learning outcomes
Upon completion of this summer school, students will gain the following.
Knowledge
Students will be able to:
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Articulate definitions of polarisation.
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Understand different indicators for polarisation, as described by different fields of research (e.g., affective polarisation, network homogeneity, etc).
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Describe the key factors and processes that contribute to societal polarisation.
Skills
Students will be able to:
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Analyse polarisation through different lenses (social psychological, philosophical, sociological, linguistic).
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Critically evaluate interventions aimed at reducing polarisation.
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Integrate different perspectives on polarisation, and apply them to a specific case.
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Develop practical advice to reduce polarisation in an applied context.
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Communicate this advice to policy partners in a report and/or presentation.
Values
Students will be able to:
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Be aware of the different forms polarisation may take in different societal contexts in the global North and global South (with a specific focus on the NL and SA).
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Understand, respect, and reflect on the diversity of perspective of students from different societal contexts and disciplines.
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Understand and reflect on the experiences of people living in a highly polarised context, and how this may alter their cognitions, emotions, and behavior.
Workload
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Activity |
Hours |
Format |
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Preparatory reading and assignment |
40 |
Online sessions and self-study over three weeks beforehand |
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Summer school week |
50 (25 contact hours) |
Fully on-site |
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Group project |
50 |
Group research, online meetings, and writing |
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Total |
140 |
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Upon successful completion of the programme, the Summer School offers a Certificate of Attendance that mentions the workload of 140 hours (28 hours corresponds to 1 ECTS). Students can apply for recognition of these credits to the relevant authorities in their home institutions, therefore the final decision on awarding credits is at the discretion of their home institutions. We will be happy to provide any necessary information that might be requested in addition to the certificate of attendance.
Proof of competence
Participants who successfully complete the summer school (including the assessments) have the possibility to obtain a Proof of Competence (digital credential) to acknowledge participation and engagement with the content. Participants who qualify for a Proof of Competence can obtain a digital badge via the EduBadges platform managed by SURF— the cooperative of Dutch education and research institutions. The digital badge is stored on this platform and contains metadata, making the content, learning outcomes, study load hours and language of instruction of the educational activity clear and transparent. The digital badge is therefore verifiable and can be shared on, for example, a CV or LinkedIn.
Application procedure
To apply, kindly fill out the online application form. Please note that you will be asked to upload the following documents:
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Updated Curriculum Vitae (max. 2 pages)
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Motivation letter, clearly stating why you want to join this summer school, what you will bring to the school and what you hope to learn (max. 1 page)
If you would like to be considered for a fee waiver, please give a short explanation of your motivation in your motivation letter.
The deadline for application is 14 April 2026. Selected applicants will be informed of the outcome of the selection process shortly after the deadline has passed.