SEFI PhD Summer School 2026: Applications Now Open!

Application and registration for the SEFI 2026 Summer School on Engineering Education Research is now open! Apply here.

• Date: 19–22 May, 2026
• Location: Aalborg University, Denmark
• Application Deadline: 10 January, 2026
• Who can apply? PhD students pursuing engineering education research, in all phases of the PhD process

We are pleased to announce that the SEFI Summer School on Engineering Education Research (EER) 2026 will be hosted by the Aalborg UNESCO Centre for Problem-Based Learning in Engineering Science and Sustainability (UCPBL) at Aalborg University (AAU).

This Summer School is designed to support early-career academics in Engineering Education Research as they develop their scholarly identities and strategies for impactful careers. With a focus on creativity, integration, and transformation, the program will explore how research can meaningfully connect to teaching, interdisciplinary collaboration, and wider academic life.

Adopting a Problem-Based Learning (PBL) approach, inspired by AAU’s long-standing PBL tradition, participants will engage in collaborative mini-projects, identifying real-life challenges, developing solutions in teams, and sharing results through peer feedback and reflection.

The deadline for submission is 10 January 2026, but don’t wait that long.  Applications will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis.

Key Themes

1. Meanings and Identity

• What does it mean to become an academic in the field of EER?
• Who do I want to become as a scholar, and and how do I position myself in the EER community?
• How do personal values, motivations, and experiences shape academic identity?

2. Transformative Methodologies

• What does it take to be a university academic today and in the future?
• How do philosophical, conceptual, theoretical, methodological, and empirical approaches collectively shape EER? 
• How can we bridge literature with real-life challenges, connect theory with practice, and align diverse research designs with research questions, data collection, analysis, and writing?

3. Professional Growth

• How can I balance research development with other aspects of academic life? 
• How do I publish and disseminate research effectively?
• How can I connect my research to teaching?
• How do I build healthy and productive professional relationships—with peers, mentors, and collaborators?
• How can I expand and sustain networks that foster creativity, collaboration, and long-term impact?

Throughout the Summer School, participants will interact with peers, experienced researchers, and recent PhD graduates in a collaborative process of co-creation and knowledge exchange.

The SEFI 2026 Summer School offers not only academic development but also a unique opportunity to join an international community of emerging scholars, collectively shaping the future of Engineering Education Research.