This Summer School will take place in August 2025 and will again focus on the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, with an emphasis on conflict research and international law. Key topics include responses by international actors, peace processes, dealing with war crimes and reconstruction plans.
The programme is aimed not only at students from our partner universities in Finland, France, the UK, Italy, Latvia, Norway, Poland, Romania and Spain, but also at students from Ukraine. This special setting enables international academic exchange on a current topic of global political relevance.
The interdisciplinary summer school invites students of all fields of social sciences including political science, psychology, communication science, journalism, sociology or educational science as well as other related disciplines.
When? 25 -29 August 2025
Where? Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Germany
Course language: English; ECTS: 3
Students from FORTHEM partner universities (European Universities Initiative), students from Ukrainian universities and students from Cardiff University and Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz can take part.
Students of the FORTHEM universities: The application phase is closed, the selection process is in progress.
Regular JGU students and students from Ukrainian universities: The registration phase runs from the beginning of February to the end of March. Please use the application form on our website.
Cardiff University students: If you are interested in the Summer School, please contact Prof Peter Sutch directly (SutchP@cardiff.ac.uk).
There is no participation fee. Participants from Ukrainian universities will be provided with free accommodation and will receive a travel expense allowance.
Participants from Cardiff University can receive a travel expense allowance. Please contact.Prof. Peter Sutch to receive further information on the ammount of the supplied funding (SutchP@cardiff.ac.uk).
If you have any questions about the Summer School or the application process, please email sowiso@uni-mainz.de. (Students from Cardiff University can contact Prof. Peter Sutch directly: SutchP@cardiff.ac.uk).
Day by day programme:
(The program may be adapted based on developments in the war)
| Morning | Afternoon | Evening | |
| Day 1 (25.08.2025) | Welcome Session and Introduction to Peace and Conflict Research | Welcome Gathering with Icebreaker Activities | |
| Day 2 (26.08.2025) | Setting the Stage for Invasion(s) – The Problem of De Facto States | Controlling the Public – Public Discourse and Psychological Warfare | |
| Day 3 (27.08.2025) | Preventive Diplomacy and De-Escalation | The Tension Between Peace Negotiations and Support for the Defending State | Round-table-debate – What Takes Precedence: Peace or Justice? |
| Day 4 (28.08.2025) | Transitional Justice and the Balance Between Justice and Peace in Ukraine | Outlook: Peacebuilding and Reconstruction in Ukraine | Farewell Event with Joint Dinner |
| Day 5 (29.08.2025) | Student led Model UN Debate | Social and Cultural Event |
Coordinators: Dr. Barbara Müller und Jan Koloska (SoWi?So!, Johannes Gutenberg-University)
Organising Team: Dr. Friedrich Plank (Institute of Political Science, Johannes Gutenberg-University), Professor Peter Sutch (School of Law and Politics, Cardiff University), Dr. Olesia Zvezdova (Department of Internationals Relations and Foreign policy, Petro Mohyla Black Sea National University, Ukraine)
The Summer School is organised by the Faculty 02 Social Sciences, Media and Sport of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz in cooperation with the School of Law and Politics of Cardiff University and takes place on the campus of Johannes Gutenberg University - with around 30,000 students, it is one of the largest universities in Germany.
