Program 

The core modules of ESSISGEN will cover following areas: 

• Advances in Information Science 

• Research Methodology in Information Science 

• Principles of Information Organization and Retrieval 

• Introduction to Gender Perspective in Research 

• Artificial Intelligence in Information Science 

• Digital Content Creation and Management 

There will be interactive lectures and work on group assignments, workshops, groups discussions and gamification activities distributed along the week. In addition, a social program will allow you to experience Opava and its surroundings. 

Activities to be done 

Online sessions – Selected participants should attend 4 online sessions (May 27, June 10, July 1 and July 15). In online sessions, participants will be trained to co-create educational materials with peers of their own institution and peers of all participating institutions in groups of 3. An example is from Barcelona Summer School 2025: https://bit.ly/4c4THqz  

All materials will be presented into the Summer School by the participants. 

Presential activities - Attending Summer School lectures and activities in Opava from August 24 to August 28 included. 

Organization 

ESSISGEN 2026 is organised by the University of Barcelona (Spain), Stiftung Universität Hildesheim (Germany), CUAS – Carinthia University of Applied Sciences (Austria), the University of Osijek and the University of Zadar (Croatia), the University of Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina), and Silesian University in Opava (Czech Republic).   

ESSISGEN 2026 is held under the auspices of the European Union and the Erasmus+ programme, as part of the project GEDIS – Gender Diversity in Information Science: Challenges in Higher Education (Project number: 2024-1-ES01-KA220-HED-000246558). 

IMPORTANT DEADLINES 

The application for participation is possible until April 10, 2026. 

An application should include a short letter of motivation, a current CV as well your current transcript of records. Only complete applications will be considered. You can submit your application  (All partners have the form from last year in BCN) 

Notification of acceptance: 28^th April 2026 

Venue 

The summer school will take place majorly at the Faculty of Philosophy and Science at the Silesian University in Opava. The history of the Silesian University in Opava is relatively short. It was established by a law passed by the Czech National Council on July 9, 1991, after a change of political regime in 1989. The Faculty of Philosophy and Science teaches the subjects of arts (history, museology, archaeology, the Czech language, foreign languages, and library science), sciences (physics and computer science) and one art subject of creative photography. Today there are 14 study programmes for a bachelor's degree, 12 study programmes for a master's degree and 6 study programmes for a doctor's degree. The LIS Department within the Faculty is renowned within the Czech Republic, contributing to the development of the library profession and maintaining high standards of ethics and professionalism. The topic of gender sensitivity and inclusion has been a topic of increasing interest among academics and students, especially recently, as it reflects the current debate on the future development of the library profession and its impact on society-wide agendas. 

The town of Opava lies on the river Opava in a fertile valley between the hills of Nízký Jeseník and the lowland Poopavská nížina. Opava covers the area of almost 90 sq km with a population a little under 60,000. The Statutory Town of Opava is an industrial and cultural centre of Czech Silesia, with its importance extending beyond the borders of the former district. https://www.opava-city.cz/tic/en/  

Accommodation 

Students will be offered accommodation in shared rooms upon availability at Hradecká student dormitory (https://www.slu.cz/fpf/cz/kolejeamenzyseznamkoleji?lid=262) in Opava. The dorm is conveniently located nearby the university buildings and the library. The city centre is within walking distance.  

Student Grants  

Several student grants are available for students from partner institutions who want to attend ESSISGEN 2026. Most grant recipients are nominated by the partner universities. Selected students will receive the costs for participation fee and accommodation in Opava (6 nights – August 23 to August 28 included) plus travel support. 

You might also seek additional local sources for financial support. For example, there might be financial support available by the international office of your university, federal or local student support agencies or your local students union. 

Nominated students will receive room and board in Opava (6 nights – August 23 to August 28 included) plus travel support of up to 300€ based on expenses. 

Cost 

In the case of a student from a non-partner institution, the cost to participate is  450€. This fee includes accommodation, meals, and access to all scheduled academic and cultural activities. The number of seats at the summer school are limited. Seats for students from non-partner institutions will be offered subject to availability. 

How to reach Opava 

Opava is located in the northeastern part of the Czech Republic and is best accessible by train from Prague or Vienna, which can be reached by plane. When planning your trip, be sure to allow enough time for connecting trains to Opava. The nearest airport is in Ostrava, which can also be used, but connecting trains are less frequent. We recommend using the airport in Prague, where connections to Opava run approximately every hour (the last connection is around 6 pm). 

Invitation to institutions – Sponsorship 

Employers, professional organizations, information agencies, publishers, and service providers are invited to consider participation at ESSISGEN 2026 by offering a demonstration, workshop or exhibit about their products and services, or by presenting a paper or poster about their activities and services, as related to the summer school themes.  

Contact:  

Prof. Dr. Thomas Mandl

mandl(at)uni-hildesheim.de 

Programme Committee Chair 
Dr. Juan-José Boté 
juanjo.botev(at)ub.edu 

Dr. Michaela Dombrovska 

michaela.dombrovska(at)slu.cz