This event is funded under the project “Strengthening the position of the University of Silesia in Katowice within the Transform4Europe Alliance in the area of joint educational and research activities”, co-funded by the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA) through the European Funds for Social Development 2021–2027 (FERS) under the NAWA programme “Support for European Universities”, Project No. BPI/WUE/2025/1/00021.
The University of Silesia in Katowice announces the recruitment of students from STEM fields to participate in the 1st International Winter School in Data Science
About the International Winter School:
The International Winter School in Data Science will provide participants with both theoretical knowledge and practical skills in modern data analysis. The programme covers the entire data analysis workflow, including data collection, cleaning and pre-processing, descriptive and inferential statistics, predictive modelling, and data visualisation.
Participants will also explore advanced analytical methods, such as clustering techniques, decision trees, and supervised machine learning. A key component of the Winter School will be hands-on project workshops, where participants will analyse real datasets and present the outcomes of their work.
When and where:
5–9 October 2026 University of Silesia in Katowice, Katowice, Poland
Who can participate:
10 students from the University of Silesia in Katowice
10 students from Vytautas Magnus University
Application deadline:
15 August 2026
Language of instruction:
English
Participation fee:
Free of charge
Format:
Classes will be held in lecture rooms and laboratories at the University of Silesia in Katowice.
The programme may be preceded by online lectures before the on-site part of the school.
ECTS credits and certificate:
Participants who complete the Winter School will receive a certificate specifying the learning outcomes (30 hours of classes).
How to apply (VMU students):
- Complete the application form (Annex No. 1A – Student’s Application for Participation), including Section 1: Information about the Candidate and Section 4: Substantive Criteria.
- Print the application form.
- Sign the application form on the last page, indicating the date and place.
- Attach the required certificates/confirmations. A copy of each supporting document must be attached to the application.
- Obtain the signature of the dean’s office of the relevant faculty in Section 1.
- Obtain the signature of the co-organiser of the support activity (Prof. Dr Daiva Vitkutė-Adžgauskienė) at the end of the application, under the statement confirming the relevance of the requested form of support.
- Send a signed scan of the application form, together with the required certificates/confirmations, to transform4europe@us.edu.pl.
Selection criteria:
Applications will be assessed on a points basis according to the following criteria:
Language proficiency:
English: A1–A2 (1 point), B1–B2 (2 points), C1–C2 (3 points)
Second foreign language: A1–A2 (1 point), B1–B2 (2 points), C1–C2 (3 points)
Language certificates:
Issued by a language school – 1 point
Issued by a university unit – 2 points
External certificates issued by an accredited examination centre – 3 points
(scans of certificates must be attached)
Dean’s/Co-organiser’s (Prof. Dr Daiva Vitkutė-Adžgauskienė) of the form of support opinion confirming the relevance of the proposed support to the study programme:
No relevance – 0 points
Confirmed relevance – 3 points
A ranking list and a reserve list will be created based on the total score.
Participation in the project and its implementation (VMU students):
QUALIFIED PARTICIPANTS, BEFORE THE START OF THE WINTER SCHOOL
(deadline: by 9 September 2026):
- Must complete the Excel file titled “Data GZ 10 2026” and send it individually to: transform4europe@us.edu.pl (this will enable the payment of financial support).
- Register in the NAWA application system as project participants, following the instructions in the file “registration NAWA – EN” and submit the registration/application.
- Download the application/PDF file and send the PDF file to: transform4europe@us.edu.pl
Scholarships (VMU students):
- Accommodation – PLN 1,500.00
- Travel to or from Poland – PLN 1,000.00
- Scholarship – PLN 375.00
Total: approx. 650-700 EUR / per person.
The scholarship will be paid after all the above formal requirements have been fulfilled.
The scholarship will be disbursed between 14 and 21 September 2026.
Costs are not settled on the basis of invoices/receipts.
Recommendations for accomodation in Katowice
Academic contact (University of Silesia):
Dr hab. Beata Zielosko, Professor at the University of Silesia
beata.zielosko@us.edu.pl
Dr hab. Agnieszka Nowak- Brzezińska, Professor at the University of Silesia
agnieszka.nowak-brzezinska@us.edu.pl
Academic contact (Vytautas Magnus University):
Prof. Dr Daiva Vitkutė-Adžgauskienė
daiva.vitkute@vdu.lt
Information and administrative contact:
Transform4Europe Office, Rectorate Building
12 Bankowa Street, 3rd floor, Room 3.6
transform4europe@us.edu.pl
