Frequently Asked Questions

Below you will find answers to many questions. Please check this list before contacting us, you might find the answer here.

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  • How to register?

    Registration is only possible using the on-line registration form and is conditional until you have paid by online payment or bank transfer (within three weeks of the reception of the invoice).

    If you pay with online payment, you will be registered as soon as you receive the payment confirmation.

    If you applied for the reduced (student) fee, a recommendation letter/copy of an official document stating your student status is required to make your registration final.

    Registration deadline

    Registration will close on the 14th of July 2023.

  • Who can apply?

    Although the courses have been mostly conceived to answer the needs of postgraduate students, doctoral students and researchers who need to learn research methods for their research projects, there a no formal requirements: anyone who is motivated can apply. Note that many workshops have some prerequisites.

     

  • Is there a deadline for registration?

    Registration will formally close on the 14th of July. However, late registrations can be accepted if workshops are not fully booked. Please get in touch if you would like to join us!

    Please note, however, that most courses fill up quickly and will have a waiting list; and if the waiting list gets too long, registration will be closed for that workshop. (Check the “Status” column on the workshop list).

  • Do I receive a receipt?

    Only if required (write to us if you need it); otherwise, USI will send you only a confirmation e-mail when payment has arrived.

  • Do I have to register for both weeks?

    No, you can also choose to attend only one week (or only the Preliminary Workshop).

    However, it is not possible to register for two Workshops in the same week.

  • When do I receive my confirmation?

    If you pay with on-line payment, the payment confirmation will be automatically sent.

    If you pay by bank transfer, we will send out payment request weekly after registration opens.

    You will receive a confirmation e-mail once we have received your payment.

    If you did not receive your payment request two weeks after registration, something went wrong (on-line registration problem, e-mail problems, etc) and you should contact us.

  • Can I earn ECTS credits from the Summer School?

    The Summer School cannot grant credits. We only deliver a Certificate of Participation, i.e. we certify your attendance.

    If you consider using Summer School workshops to obtain credits (ECTS), you will have to investigate at your home institution (contact the person/institute responsible for your degree) to find out whether they recognise the Summer School, how many credits can be earned from a workshop/course with roughly 35 hours of teaching, no graded work, and no exams.

    Make sure to investigate this matter before registering if this is important to you.

  • Do I need to bring a laptop and install software on it?

    Yes, the laptop is required. We will provide you with the requested software used in the workshop.

  • Problems with the online application?

    Technical problems, like our server not working (problems, maintenance periods), disturbances on the Internet or in your local network, happen. Waiting some time usually makes the problem go away.

    If you experience other internet related problems (web browsing, e-mail) the problem might be local or even specific to your computer. If nothing helps, drop us a note.

  • What happens if I send the form more than once?

    Unless you have already received your payment request, we will only take into account the last form you have sent. In our experience a number of registrants change their mind or need to make corrections soon after they registered.

    If you wish to make corrections etc weeks later please do not use on-line registration but send us an e-mail instead.

  • I would like to change my registration. What should I do?

    If you would like to change your workshop selection, add a workshop or cancel one of the workshops, please do not use the online application form a second time. Send an email to [email protected] and explain what you would like to change.

  • Will I receive any information before the Summer School starts?

    Normally, other than the payment request and a confirmation of the reception of your payment, you will receive our Handbook via e-mail a couple of weeks before your workshop starts and our Newsletter.

    All information regarding the Summer School can be found on this website.

    Subscribe to the mailing list in order to have more information about the workshops.

  • Who is entitled to register for the reduced fee?

    You can apply for the reduced fee if you are student (any level: bachelor, master, PhD, post-doctoral).

    You need to send proof of your student status, copy of a (valid) student id, letter of recommendation from your supervisor, or any document that shows that you are currently a student.

  • Does the Summer School offer any grant or subsidy?

    No, the Summer School is financed exclusively by participants' fees and has no resources of its own.

  • I have been placed on the waiting list. What does it mean?

    When a workshop you have selected is full, you will be placed on a waiting list, i.e. you cannot attend that workshop unless a place becomes free for that workshop.

    When a place becomes free, we will send you an e-mail message to ask whether you would like to attend. If you agree, we will also send a payment request. Your place will be confirmed upon payment.

  • I have been placed on the waiting list for one workshop, but I have been accepted for another

    You will then receive a payment request only for the workshop you have been accepted for. You have to pay within three weeks (or less when you register close to the Summer School) to make the registration final.

    You cannot wait to find out whether a place becomes available for the other workshop.

  • I have been placed on the waiting list. What are my chances to attend the workshop?

    During the first period (the first six to twelve weeks after registration opens, i.e. February to April/May, later for less popular workshops) up to 25% of the registrants cancel or are removed, for different reasons.

    • If you register early and are placed on a waiting list, chances are quite good for you to attend.
    • If you are still on the waiting list after late April/early May, chances to attend are decreasing.

    A late cancellation implies that the workshop fees are not reimbursed, fully or partially

  • What happens if a workshop is cancelled due to too few participants?

    If there are not enough confirmed participants by June 16th, a workshop may be cancelled.

    If that happens, you will be informed by e-mail, and you will then have two choices:

    1. Ask us to reimburse the course fees;
    2. Attend one of the other workshops, unless they are fully booked.
  • Is there the possibility to take exams at the end of the workshops?

    No, there will be no exams for any Summer School module.

  • What are the conditions to receive the Certificate of Participation?

    You will receive a Certificate of Participation if you attend all five days of the workshop. Absences (half-day increments) will be noted on the Certificate.

    We do not deliver a certificate to a participant who has attended less than three full days or who has not submitted the final assignment (if requested by the instructor).

  • Do I have to be present all five days?

    Yes. The workshops are very intensive, both the more formal presentations (50% of the time) and the practical work on assignments and project work (50% of the time).

    Many workshops will have an important group-project component and these projects are defined at the beginning and presented on the last day.

  • How do I prepare the Summer School?

    Check the section on prerequisites and readings in the workshop description. Consider carefully how the skills and knowledge you will acquire fit into your projects. Depending on the topic and didactic options, some workshop instructors encourage you to present your own data or problems, but – to avoid disappointment – do not expect, time being short, that all your problems will be solved. Again, carefully read the workshop description to understand what to expect.

  • Does the Summer School provide meals?

    Coffee on the first morning and a main-dish dinner during the Summer School Dinner each week of the Summer School will be provided.

    It is possible to pre-book catering for lunch meals during week 1 and week 2, but it will be still charged to the participant.

    There is a student restaurant in the Main Building, as well as various vending machines (drinks, snacks). There are various takeaway providers opposite the campus, and several restaurants in close proximity to the University.