21st DRC (Danube Rectors’ Conference) Summer School: Imagining Europe’s Future
DRC SUMMER SCHOOL ON REGIONAL COOPERATION
EU36: Imagining Europe’s Future
26 July – 1 August 2026
Regensburg, Germany
An intensive one-week programme for students and researchers
What will Europe look like in 2036? What could a European Union of 36 member states mean for its political, economic, and societal future? The summer school EU36 invites participants to explore these questions from an interdisciplinary perspective.
Whether understood as a forward-looking vision of the European Union in ten years’ time or as a scenario of an enlarged Union, EU36 serves as a framework to critically examine transformation processes within and beyond Europe. Participants will engage with key challenges and opportunities shaping the EU’s future – ranging from geopolitical shifts and economic restructuring to social cohesion, migration and democratic governance.
By bringing together students, researchers, and practitioners from diverse backgrounds, the summer school fosters dialogue across disciplines and encourages innovative thinking about Europe’s role in a rapidly changing global landscape. Through lectures, workshops, and interactive discussions, participants will analyse current developments, present their own research and develop ideas for the future of the EU.
DETAILS OF THE SUMMER SCHOOL 2026
We are looking for young researchers with a scientific background and/or a strong interest in deepening their knowledge of developments in Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe!
- Date: 26 July – 1 August 2026
- Application deadline: 31 May 2026
- Target group: BA, MA, PhD level students
- Registration fee: none
- Accommodation: provided and covered by the organisers (if needed)
- Travel: covered by the organisers up to 200 €
- Language of instruction: English
- Course location: Regensburg
- Organisers: Danube Rectors’ Conference (DRC), Institute for the Danube Region and Central Europe (IDM), OTH Regensburg
- Publication: possibility of contributing to one of the IDM’s publications e.g. policy paper or study
TOPICS
1. Geopolitics and International Relations: This strand explores the European Union’s role in an increasingly contested global order. It looks at enlargement and neighbourhood policy as key strategic tools, alongside the EU’s relationships with major global actors such as the United States and China. Questions of security, defence cooperation, and the pursuit of strategic autonomy will be central, particularly in light of ongoing geopolitical tensions and shifting alliances.
2. Economy and Transformation: This theme prioritizes the green transition as a driver of the EU’s future competitiveness and resilience. It explores how climate-neutral growth, supported by the Single Market and digital innovation, can strengthen the EU’s economic position, while addressing inequalities and promoting convergence across member states, especially in an enlarged Union.
3. Migration and Demography: This strand addresses one of the EU’s most debated and politically sensitive areas. It will explore migration governance, asylum systems, and border management, as well as broader demographic trends such as ageing populations and labour shortages. Discussions will also consider how mobility and migration intersect with questions of social inclusion and integration across European societies.
4. Democracy and Desinformation: This theme connects the EU’s institutional framework – governance, decision making, and rule of law – with the lived reality of democracy at citizen level. It explores participation, polarisation, and the influence of disinformation, and how these dynamics affect trust, cohesion, and democratic resilience in an expanding Union.
Please note that participants will have the opportunity to present their own research. Applicants’ research topics should align with the themes outlined above. The programme, including lectures and workshops by Regensburg-based and international professors as well as a cultural programme, will be published in the coming weeks.
APPLICATION PROCESS
Please send the following documents to info@drc-danube.org by 31 May 2026, at the latest:
- Answer the following questions:
Description of research subject/interest (100 words)
Would you like to present your research during the DRC Summer School? (yes or no)
What is your motivation to attend the DRC Summer School? (120 words) - Your CV (maximum 2 pages)
Please send all above-mentioned documents as one file, the only accepted format is PDF with a maximum file size of 3 MB for all documents.
Selected participants will be informed latest by 15 June 2026.
