University of Silesia in Katowice

 

 

BEYOND BARRIERS

the Role of Social Sciences in building Accessibility

08.06.2026 – 12.06 2026

The University of Silesia in Katowice, as a member of the Transform4Europe alliance,

invites doctoral students and Master’s students

to the Spring School 2026, entitled

BEYOND BARRIERS: the Role of Social Sciences in building Accessibility

Organising Committee: Grzegorz Gawron, Zuzanna Neuve-Église, Ryszard Knapek (University of Silesia in Katowice)

📆  When: June 8–12, 2026

📍 Where: Katowice, Poland

💰Participation is free of charge – the event is fully funded with the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange under the STER Program and Erasmus+ BIP.

Doctoral students from outside of Poland will have the opportunity to apply for financing of travel and accommodation costs in the BIP Erasmus+

📅 Registration time: by March 9, 2026

Accessibility has become one of the most significant challenges and at the same time one of the greatest promises of contemporary societies. In an era marked by rapid social change, digital transformation, growing inequalities, and increasing cultural diversity, questions of who has access, under what conditions, and with what consequences have moved to the very center of social and political debates. Accessibility concerns not only access to education and knowledge, but also access to public space, digital technologies, legal protection, political participation, communication channels, cultural resources, and social recognition. Barriers to access may be visible and material, but they are often subtle, institutionalized, and deeply embedded in social norms, power relations, and everyday practices.

This summer school invites early-career researchers to critically rethink access as a complex, multidimensional social process rather than a purely technical or administrative issue. Accessibility will be explored in its structural, cultural, technological, legal, and symbolic dimensions, highlighting how different forms of exclusion and inclusion are produced, maintained, and contested. Through interdisciplinary perspectives drawn from the social sciences, participants will be able to explore issues that illuminate the dynamics of accessibility in diverse social contexts. The school aims to foster critical reflection, methodological sensitivity, and collaborative dialogue, encouraging participants to develop innovative research approaches that contribute to more inclusive and accessible societies.

• Event date: June 8-12, 2026
• Duration: 5 days (Monday–Friday)
• Participants: 40 master’s and doctoral students from across Europe
• Staff: lecturers from across Europe
• Scope of participation for each participant: 1 x thematic block (15 x 45 min.); 1 x pecha-kucha presentation; 2 x workshops (2 x 3 x 45 min.) (Tuesday–Thursday);
• Course formats: lectures, workshops, seminars, individual presentations, case studies, field trips, group work;
• What you gain: a certificate of participation, new knowledge and skills, new friendships, a broad perspective on development opportunities and applications in social sciences.
• Participating in Seasonal School allows you to get 4 ECTS

By March 13, 2026:

• complete the registration form on our website: https://formularze.us.edu.pl/form/index/7002
• prepare a maximum 3-minute video presenting your scientific interests and achievements and upload it here: https://ssd.us.edu.pl/index.php/s/ibJmlzSwpkIGuWL or send us a link to seasonalschool@us.edu.pl. If you are not ready for a video, show us yourself and your interest in any other way!

Based on this, we will choose participants for our Seasonal School by March 25, 2025.

The number of attendees is limited, so act quickly!

Contact: seasonalschool@us.edu.pl

Działanie współfinansowane w ramach projektu International from the beginning – wsparcie umiędzynarodowienia finansowanego przez Narodową Agencję Wymiany Akademickiej w ramach Programu STER.

Więcej: https://us.edu.pl/szkola-doktorska/ster/