A summer school is a type of intensive course (mostly) during the semester break. Unlike regular university courses, summer schools offer a diverse program with lectures, workshops, excursions, opportunities for exchange, and plenty of free time to explore the surroundings and get to know each other. Also they bring together students, instructors and researchers from different universities or even countries. So, it has little in common with the traditional notion of “school”. Instead, you can look forward to an exciting, varied, and interactive week with a great group — a true highlight of your studies.

During our summer school week the Wednesday will especially be designed for student contributions such as presentations on ideas and bachelor / master theses or workshops. We call this a “students’ conference”. The event is meant to give students designated space for own ideas and to train yourself for future conferences or other occasions. If you want to contribute in one or the other way please indicate so during registration.

The motto of this year’s summer school is “(Vocational) Education for Sustainable Futures”. There will be a varied program of inputs, workshops and excursions related to this topic. Additionally, you’ll have time to explore Trondheim and get to know the fellow international participants better. The entire summer school will be conducted in English.

Summer schools are outside the curriculum and are most often characterized by the fact that they are not accompanied by examinations. At the same time, of course, we also know that students also have to make sure that they complete their degree in time which they need credits for.

So if you need / want credits for your participation, please indicate this when you register. If you make a contribution to the student conference (details to be discussed) we can award 3 ECTS for your participation.

Our MOVE IT! summer schools are specifically designed for teacher education students, who are therefore given priority when it comes to available places and funding allowances. At TU Berlin, this includes all students of the subject work studies (Lehramt Arbeitslehre) as well as of vocational teacher training subjects (berufliches Lehramt).We also welcome educational science students (at TU Berlin: Bildungswissenschaft) because we are convinced that only together – (future) teachers as well as policy makers – we can taggle the challenges of tomorrow and learn from each other’s perspectives. Both Bachelor’s and Master’s students are welcome, no matter whether you are at the beginning, middle, or end of your studies.

Coming from our partner universities it doesn’t matter what your disciplinary background in teacher education is. As TU Berlin programs in teacher education focus on technical vocational subjects these students bring in an expert focus on upper secondary schools – but our topics will also be interesting for teacher training students for other school types!

Meant as a space for exchanging international perspectives on education and teaching, the event will take place in English. However, fluency in English is not required – what matters most is your willingness and motivation to engage with others who primarily communicate in English. So don’t worry: you’ll be supported along the way, and participants help each other out.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re at the beginning of your studies, have completed a few semesters, or are nearing the end of your program. No prior knowledge is required for the participation in the summer school, and first-year students are explicitly welcome! We are convinced, that looking at complex topics from multiple angles is key. Every level of experience brings a fresh perspective to the table, making the summer school a more enriching experience for the whole group.

If you’re interested in participating, you can register via the contact form until May 31, 2026. Please introduce yourself briefly and write some few sentences explaining why you would like to join the summer school. Also please indicate if you would like to contribute a presentation or workshop to Wednesday’s students’ conference.

From TU Berlin up to 10 students can participate. Students offering contributions to the students’ conference on Wednesday will be favoured. Places are allocated based on your field of study. We aim to ensure a balanced representation of all teacher education programs at TU Berlin.

MOVE IT! can support the participation of up to 10 students from TU Berlin with a lump sum of 250,- €.

After the registration deadline, we will contact you promptly to let you know whether you’ve secured a place for TU students. As some students may unfortunately be turned down due to the limited number of places, please let us know as soon as possible if you need to change your plans.

We highly value the participation of students from our partner universities, as the diversity of perspectives is what truly enriches our program and the collective learning experience. For them, mostly the same criteria apply as for TU Berlin students. We do especially welcome students contributing to the students’ conference on Wednesday.

Please note that MOVE IT! cannot provide direct financial support for participants from partner universities. However, funding may be available through your home university. We recommend contacting the respective coordinators at your university to inquire about available support.

In the event that applications exceed the number of available spots, our selection process ensures a diverse and balanced group. We take into account your field of study, your current academic progress, and whether you intend to contribute to the student conference.

You can register via our contact form (please indicate a possible contribution to the students’ conference) and additionally you can reach out to your contact person at your main university for further information and / or (financial) assistance:

NTNU Trondheim, Norway: Katrine Dalbu Alterhaug, katrine.d.alterhaug@ntnu.no

PH Tirol, Austria: Silvia Baldassari, silvia.baldassari@ph-tirol.ac.at

PH FHNW, Switzerland: Edita Butnarová, international.ph@fhnw.ch

Nelson Mandela University, South Africa: Helena Oosthuizen, Helena.Oosthuizen@mandela.ac.za

Akdeniz University, Turkey: more information coming soon

Most summer schools require a participation fee; sometimes they are very cost intensive. We are pleased to offer our summer school free of charge, thanks to funding of MOVE IT! from the German Academic Exchange Service DAAD!

Additionally up to 10 students from TU Berlin can be supported from our funds with a lump sum of 250,-€ for the week. For students from our partner universities, other financial assistance might be available by your university or local government (see “How can I participate as a student from the partner universities?”).

To help keep your stay in Trondheim affordable, we have secured a special deal with a budget-friendly guest house located within walking distance of the university. They offer basic single and shared rooms equipped with small kitchenettes, which is a great way to save on costs through self-catering. While you are free to choose any accommodation you prefer, this option provides a convenient and central home base for our participants.

For your daily meals, you can also take advantage of the affordable student cafeteria (Mensa) right on campus, and the surrounding area offers plenty of options as well.

Please note that travel, accommodation, and meals are to be organized and financed by the participants themselves. For students from TU Berlin, the €250 lump sum is specifically intended to assist with these personal expenses.

To learn how the summer school was received and to continue improving, we collected anonymous feedback during the last events. Many thanks to everyone who shared their thoughts! Here are a few direct quotes:

“really liked the chemistry of the group and the openness to learn. I got something from every workshop, and I feel like I got some new tools to use when teaching”

“I loved that it [the Summer School] brought together so many different people, so we got to hear many different and interesting perspectives.”

“thank you for making me part of it :-)”

“Mir haben alle Vorträge gefallen, insbesondere die Möglichkeit, sich mit anderen über bestimmte Themen auszutauschen.”

“ich mochte die abwechslungsreichen Vorträge und Workshops und vor allem auch die interessanten und inspirierenden Gespräche in und außerhalb der Summer School”

“it was well organised, diverse and fruitful”

“Außerdem war die Abwechslung super, mal interaktive Workshops und dann Vorträge. Es war so oder so nie langweilig, nur die Müdigkeit hat manchmal zugeschlagen.”

“this is a great opportunity to expand knowledge and experience together”

“I can’t choose a favourite but additionally to the great workshops I also liked that we had opportunities to do field trips etc., well planned!”

“für manche Diskussion wäre es schön gewesen, mehr Zeit zu haben, um noch tiefer in die Materie einzusteigen.”

“I really enjoyed being part of the group which was filled with good ideas, inspiring thoughts and perosnalities.”

“I’m leaving here with so many new thoughts and ideas. Feel so inspired!”

We’re happy to advise you on whether the MOVE IT! summer school is a good fit for you and answer any questions you may have. And we are happy to help you with questions about contributions to the students’ conference – both contentwise and organisationalwise.

Additionally, we can connect you with fellow students who participated in last year’s summer school and can share their experiences. You can reach us via the contact form.

MOVE IT! stands for “Mobility in vocational teacher education for interculturally competent teachers”. It is a project at Technische Universität Berlin funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) in the funding track Lehramt.International 2.0 aimed at further internationalizing teacher education at TU Berlin. To achieve this goal, the project has developed a variety of offerings specifically for teacher education students. These include exchange programs, the digital program MOTIVATE! — to which this website belongs — and the summer schools. The project is currently in it’s second funding phase from 01/2025 to 12/2029, the first funding phase was from 01/2021 to 12/2024.

If you’d like to learn more about MOVE IT!, you can find more information here on the About page and on our project website at the TU chair of General and Historical Education .