2026 Energy Community Summer School

Syllabus

Like in the past years, the Energy Community Summer School focuses on energy sectors in transition, in particular in South Eastern and Eastern Europe. The programme takes into account the broader geographical context in Europe and possibly beyond and will go beyond a mere training programme for energy-related topics. It allows participants to understand the energy sectors in their full complexity and provide them a platform for exchange and contribution to shaping the sectors’ future.

The Summer School will

• cover scientific, legal, economic, cultural, political as well as, technical aspects of the energy supply chain;
• include both theoretical elements and practical training through case studies and mock cases.

The Energy Community Summer School programme will offer a combination of course work, guest lectures and social / cultural activities. During the training, participants will attend lectures taught by high-level scholars from academia as well as experts and practitioners from leading energy companies etc. The social and cultural activities include a welcome reception, a guided tour of the host town, and a full-day excursion to nearby destinations.

Benefits

Benefits of attending the Energy Community Summer School:

ECTS credits¹ - the Energy Community Summer School is accredited in accordance with the European Credit Transfer System. Students participating in the Summer School will have a chance to earn 3 ECTS points.

Experience abroad - studying in a different country is a great experience and gives the possibility to gain international experience, which is important for the job market etc.

Get to know the countries of the Energy Community, their culture and people in addition to their energy sectors – the Summer School will not only be about academic experience, but will also give the participants the opportunity to get to know fellows from different countries and experience different cultures.

Knowledge outcome – after finalising the Summer School, the participants will better understand the science, policy and regulation of energy markets in transition. They will understand the challenges behind the implementation of European aspects of energy law and regulation and be able to combine different disciplines and approaches underpinning energy-related projects and reforms.

 

Cost

The Energy Community Secretariat covers all program-related costs, including lectures, accommodation, excursions, and most meals.

The only expense for selected participants is the travel cost to and from from their home town or duty station and the Summer School venue.

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¹ Students who wish to receive ECTS credits will need to contact their university. The approval of the credits as well as their exact amount depends on the decision of the students' home institution. Credits will be granted from Polis University. 

 Successful applicants

A maximum of 40 participants will be selected to attend the Summer School.
 

Target group 

• Postgraduate students (masters or PhD students),
• Researchers from all disciplines,
• Young professionals from governmental institutions (ministries, authorities and agencies) or energy companies,
• Think tanks,
• NGOs, etc.
   

Profile

To be considered for admission, applicants must be:

• under 35 years of age at the time of the Summer School (applicants should be born in year 1991 or later);
• Fluent in written and spoken English;

• A citizen of the following countries: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo*, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Türkiye, including the 27 EU Member States.

• Up to 5 participants may be selected from countries outside the above list. Citizens of other countries than the ones listed above will be asked to pay for food and accommodation (around 300 EUR for the week).
   

Selection criteria

Successful applicants will be selected by the Energy Community Secretariat in consultation with a network of academic and research institutions of the participating countries based on the following criteria:

• A short paper (5 pages maximum) in which contemporary pressing energy policy issues shall be presented and briefly analysed, related to one of the following topics: economic implications, technical issues related to energy generation, political implications and energy diplomacy, legal aspects, questions related to the sustainability of energy systems. No ranking between the topics will be applied; therefore candidates are invited to choose a subject that is closest to their field of studies or research;
• Previous experience and knowledge in the field of energy;
• Geographic balance;
• Gender balance.

For more information on the policy paper, please download the document below.

How to apply for the 2026 Summer School?

• Application period opens 19 January and closes on 31 March 2026.
• Please, apply using the on-line application form only. 
• For your application to be successful, you must fill in your personal details and to include two attachments: 
  1. curriculum vitae (preferably in Europass format); 
  2. your policy paper. 
• Please make sure to submit your application within one session. You can not save, nor return to the form afterwards.
• After you have submitted your application, you will receive an automatically generated email with the copy of your application.
• Please submit your application latest by 31 March, midnight CET.

Energy Community Summer School Partners

The Energy Community Secretariat organises the 2026 edition in cooperation with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, within the framework of the Regional Climate Partnership (RCP) between Germany and the Western Balkans, and Polis University.

Polis University, Tirana; Jagiellonian University, Krakow; Masaryk University, Brno; Comenius University, Bratislava; REKK, Budapest; have acted as project partners since 2016.

 

Co-funding

 

Project partners