In just one week, the official inauguration of the 23rd Visegrad Summer School will take place at Villa Decius in Kraków. As we count down the final days, we’re excited to welcome a new group of participants from across Central and Eastern Europe, ready to engage in ten days of dialogue, discovery, and dynamic exchange.
This year’s edition promises a rich and timely program, all centered around one critical question: What is the future of enlargement?
The Visegrad Summer School program is dedicated to young professionals, including students, PhD candidates, young public and NGO sector workers, and emerging opinion leaders from the Visegrad Group countries. Over the years, its reach has expanded to include participants from the Western Balkans and selected Eastern Partnership countries, particularly Ukraine.
Each edition is guided by a specific thematic focus. This year’s edition centers on "The Future of Enlargement", with discussions exploring the evolving nature of multilateral international cooperation, especially in the European Union and NATO context. Participants will take part in lectures, conferences, and discussion panels addressing topics such as the future of regional collaboration amid the next wave of EU integration, Polish–Ukrainian cooperation, Ukraine’s potential accession to the EU and NATO, and the status of Balkan countries on their path toward EU membership.
In addition to academic programming, participants will attend study visits that introduce the historical heritage of Kraków and the Małopolska region and participate in methodological workshops to prepare their own research projects aligned with the program theme. In recent editions, the School has embraced a futures studies approach, focusing on trend analysis, foresight, and scenario design.
This year’s edition is held under the Honorary Patronage of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland, Radosław Sikorski, and the Marshal of the Małopolska Region, Łukasz Smółka.
“The Visegrad Summer School is no longer just a project - it's a process that began over 20 years ago at the Villa Decius Association in Kraków. It emerged alongside a new model of regional cooperation: the Visegrad Partnership, which now celebrates its 25th anniversary. The School quickly became a unique platform for deepening knowledge, exchanging experiences, and strengthening international relations,” says Dominika Kasprowicz, Director of the Villa Decius Association.
The legacy of the past 22 editions continues to inspire the organizers. Numerous examples of lasting relationships and initiatives that began within this program are shared. The shared memories of intense discussions, lectures, and collaborative project work have led to personal growth among participants and tangible contributions to regional cooperation. The Visegrad Summer School has become a space for education and an incubator for ideas that transcend borders, disciplines, and generations.
The 23rd Visegrad Summer School is organized by the Villa Decius Association in Krakow in collaboration with key partners from across Central Europe: Bratislava Policy Institute, Václav Havel Library, Magyar Centrum - Centrum Węgierskie and Malopolska Region.
The program is supported by the International Visegrad Fund, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea, the City of Kraków, and private sponsors like Grupa ZUE.
Media partners of the event include: Polskie Radio dla Zagranicy, krakow.pl and TVP3 Kraków.
