Summer Schools and Other Events

Summer schools 

After organising a first summer school at the University of Groningen on Youth, education and work in (post-)conflict areas, the UNESCO Chair has developed a tradition organising summer schools at Gulu University, northern Uganda. The summer schools bring together youth from all over the world studying, discussing and exploring together. The focus has shifted to youth entrepreneurship as a pathway to decent work where job opportunities, also for university graduates, are few. In May 2025, the summer school on Women-Led Change: Community Engagement and Rural Development in Uganda took place at the all-women African Rural University (ARU) campus in Kagadi. As this university has a totally different approach to higher education with community engagement right from the start of the study programme, it offered an opportunity to see how this approach worked out in practice. Reflecting on the summer school and its lessons, we felt that there was more to learn and to reflect on. Connecting to one of the key problems for young people in Uganda, we will focus our 2026 summer school on education and work for (adolescent) girls. The lead research question will be: How can education support girls to get decent work and to fully participate in society? 

See https://www.rug.nl/education/summer-winter-schools/ for more details. You are welcome to join!

Participatory Action Research (PAR) and Lifelong learning series  

Contributing to UNESCO’s mission on lifelong learning, the chair organises events such as seminars, workshops and short trainings under the title Participatory Action Research (PAR) and Lifelong learning series. At the launch of the Open Distance Electronic and Lifelong Learning (ODELL) department at Gulu University, the chair conducted a public dialogue titled ‘Rising Geopolitics, Populism and Shifting Foreign Aid: Where is Adult and Lifelong Learning in the Global South?’ Another example is the Professional Development Training for (graduating) students from Gulu University, African Rural University and Makerere University. This is an online training equipping the participants with practical skills and professional competencies to successfully transition from education to employment.