Research Summer Camp
The Transformation Summer Camp marks a strategic milestone for KU in the targeted promotion of university graduates and researchers in the early stages of their careers. Since 2023, the university has positioned the week-long format as an international innovation platform that strengthens interdisciplinary collaboration and opens up new spaces for thinking. The annual theme is deliberately set at the intersection of highly topical social challenges and forward-looking transformation issues – with the aim of providing impetus for tomorrow's research.
"While many research initiatives continue to operate within clearly defined disciplines, groundbreaking innovations often arise where boundaries are crossed. With the Transformation Summer Camp, we are specifically creating space for bold, interdisciplinary research ideas at the edges of established subject areas – and thus promoting approaches with real transformative potential," emphasizes Prof. Dr. Jens Hogreve, Vice President for Research and Academic Careers.
The international orientation of the summer camp is an integral part of the concept. In its first year, the program received 120 applications from all over the world – a clear sign of its global appeal. The 20 scholarship recipients represented a diverse international network with countries of origin in Europe, Latin America, Africa, and Asia, including Argentina, Brazil, China, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Kenya, Colombia, Austria, Russia, Sweden, and Turkey. The Transformation Summer Camp is thus developing into a catalyst for sustainable international research cooperation and long-term scientific partnerships.
