CISPA SUMMER SCHOOL
Our Summer School offers an intensive learning experience for students and early-career professionals in cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. Through lectures, hands-on workshops, and networking opportunities, participants gain both theoretical foundations and practical skills. Join us to explore emerging technologies, build connections, and shape the future of digital security.
The seventh issue of our Zine takes you inside the Summer School experience - where young talents, researchers, and industry experts come together to learn, collaborate, and explore the future of cybersecurity and AI. This issue features behind-the-scenes impressions, participant voices, and expert insights. Discover how knowledge, curiosity, and community drive innovation. Now available online.
Yes! If you attended one of our Summer Schools in the past, you are of course welcome to apply again for any of the upcoming Summer Schools. If there are two Summer Schools in one year, you can apply for both of these Summer Schools. It is advisable to mention a specific research focus in your application that aligns with your interests and your prior education.
Due to the high number of applications we receive, our jury has strict criteria for selecting participants for our Summer Schools. We give priority to those who either have a background in the Summer School’s topic or are currently studying it. A foundational knowledge in the field is required, and participants should have reached a certain academic level. For instance, individuals in the early stages of a Bachelor's program may not qualify. This is important because the Summer School is interactive, and having prior knowledge is crucial for active participation.
You can apply for a travel grant during your application if your travel costs are not reimbursed by your employer. Our jury will select participants and approve the travel grant within availability. You will only receive reimbursement after successful completion of the Summer School, which means actively attending each day of the event. Another requirement for reimbursement is that you actively participate in the Summer School by presenting a poster during the poster session. There might be additional requirements for individual Summer Schools, which will be mentioned on the event website. If your travel grant was approved, you need to hand in receipts for all expenses that occurred in connection with your travels after completing the Summer School. The participation fee secures your spot for the event and covers catering, drinks, course materials and the entire program. It cannot be refunded via the travel grant. Only receipts dated within one day before the start of the event until the last day are eligible for reimbursement. Exceptions require prior approval via email. Please book accommodations from our recommendation list if possible or contact us for approval prior to your booking.
Please bring your printed poster with you. Your poster should be in portrait format, A0 size. If you don’t have the possibility to print it yourself, email it to us as a PDFX file within the deadline mentioned upon acceptance. Each presentation will be limited to 5 minutes, followed by a short discussion.
If you have specific dietary restrictions, please include that information in your application. We strive to accommodate all dietary needs to the best of our ability. Also, a vegetarian option is always available.
Bring your own laptop. Course materials and catering will be provided during the event and are included in the fee. After the event, you will receive the handouts and presentations from every speaker who agreed to their distribution.
Yes, a certificate will be provided if you successfully attend every day of the Summer School.
We can only reimburse costs for participants. If you bring your partner or friend to share your hotel room, please provide receipts and comparison prices for the expenses that would have occurred if you had traveled alone, and we will reimburse accordingly.
In this case, you should ensure the hotel receipt states both your names. Submit this receipt, and each of you will receive half the reimbursement for the cost of the hotel room.
If you cancel at short notice after confirming and paying the participation fee, no refunds can be issued. You can, however, name a substitute participant with similar qualifications. Refunds depend on whether there is enough time to rearrange event planning (e.g. transport and catering).
Our summer schools usually run for one week and include talks, workshops, and poster sessions, giving participants many opportunities to connect, present their own research, and get constructive feedback. Recent events dealt with topics such as trustworthy AI, usable security or privacy-preserving cryptography.