NCU News
Social sciences
YUFE Students' Summer Odyssey
For two weeks in August, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń will host young researchers from universities across the YUFE alliance as part of the YUFE Students' Summer Odyssey – Summer School in Social and Environmental Psychology. The programme will bring together 22 students and doctoral candidates for an intensive academic experience combining advanced coursework with hands-on field research.
Organised by the Institute of Psychology at Nicolaus Copernicus University, the Summer School combines English-language lectures with practical fieldwork. During the first week in Toruń, participants will explore contemporary theories of social and environmental psychology and learn research methods focused on the relationship between people and places. The second week, held in the historic town of Chełmno, will provide an opportunity to apply this knowledge through urban field research.
The academic programme covers topics such as place attachment, collective memory, intergroup relations, prejudice, urban diversity, and environmental psychology. Courses will be delivered by researchers from the Institute of Psychology together with distinguished international scholars. The Summer School is academically coordinated by Professor Maria Lewicka, one of Europe's leading experts in the psychology of place.
Beyond its academic dimension, the Summer School offers participants an opportunity to establish international research networks and experience Poland's cultural heritage. The programme also includes a study visit to Gdańsk and Malbork, combining scientific learning with intercultural exchange.
The Summer School is organised within the framework of the "YUFE Connects – The European Platform for Academic Cooperation of Nicolaus Copernicus University" project, which aims to strengthen the internationalisation of the University by promoting mobility, research collaboration, and educational partnerships within the Young Universities for the Future of Europe (YUFE) alliance. The Summer School constitutes one of the project's flagship initiatives dedicated to students from YUFE partner universities.
The project is funded by the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA) under the "Support for European Universities" programme, co-financed by the European Funds for Social Development (FERS 2021–2027).
