Summer Academy in Chemnitz: Science meets science fiction!

Summer Academy in Chemnitz: Science meets science fiction!

Chemnitz University of Technology will host an international summer school on August 28th and 29th, 2025 with the title “How much science is in science fiction?” organize. Organized by the Professorship of Media Psychology under the direction of Prof. Dr. Jan-Philipp Stein and the Across university alliance, the event offers a platform for students, doctoral students, post-docs and scientific staff from a variety of disciplines, including media studies, psychology and human-computer interaction.

Participation in the summer school is free of charge. However, the number of places is limited to 25 people, so those interested must submit their registration by May 31, 2025. Further information on how to apply can be found on the event website www.mytuc.org/jkwd. The event is particularly aimed at international students and young scientists.

Program highlights

Particular attention is paid to the variety of program items, which are designed to be both academic and creative. The highlight of the event are the keynote lectures by internationally renowned experts such as Prof. Fabio Buttussi from the University of Udine, Prof. Sorin Cazacu from the University of Craiova and the robotics scientist Prof. Jaime Banks from Syracuse, New York. Interactive poster sessions and a creative writing seminar will also be offered, which will deal with the topic of “cyberpunk utopia and dystopia” and will be led by the artist Denise Lee.

The summer school is also intended to provide a forum for interaction in which participants can network with each other. A social evening allows you to have informal conversations and make new contacts.

Scholarships and Networking

Scholarships are offered for special talents. A total of eight scholarships are available for students from Across partner universities, which cover accommodation costs of up to 168 euros and offer travel scholarships of between 350 and 550 euros, depending on the country of origin. Participants also have the opportunity to take part in the “Humans and Computers 2025” conference, which begins immediately after the summer school on August 31, 2025.

The Summer Academy will therefore not only provide an educational experience, but also create a space in which creative writing and research approaches can be explored. This shows the increasing importance that creative writing is taking on in science communication. Science can be conveyed in an exciting and understandable way through formats such as science fiction short stories sciencecommunication.de reported. Such stories make it possible to anchor complex scientific content in fictional worlds and thus make it accessible to a broader public.

The combination of fiction and science opens up new perspectives and represents an innovative approach to getting readers of all ages excited about scientific topics. The Summer School at Chemnitz University of Technology takes a further step in this direction by bringing scientists and creative minds together to expand the boundaries of knowledge transfer.