Applications to the Summer School are read on a rolling basis from the day registration opens until the cohort is full. We try to reply to every application within two to three weeks of receipt, and we welcome questions before you apply.
Begin your application by email A single email with three PDFs — details below.
Express your interest first
Prefer to register interest in a single click and have us reach out? Submit the form below and we’ll send you the application pack with the exact dates, fees and what to prepare for the cohort you’d like to join.
What to send
Please send a single email to office@chen.ist with the subject line “Summer School 2026 application — [your name]”, and the following attached as PDF:
- A short CV. Two pages or fewer is ideal. We are interested in what you have done, not how it is laid out.
- A statement of interest. No more than 500 words, in your own English. Tell us why you want to take the school seriously, what you hope to take from the programme — including the hackathon at the end — and what you might contribute to your team.
- Proof of qualifications. Your most recent degree certificate or transcript, or — for early-career professionals — a short summary of the work you have done since.
We additionally ask for one letter of recommendation or a small portfolio of prior work — for example, a link to an open-source contribution, a write-up of a security project, or notes from a talk you have given.
How we read applications
Each application is read by at least two members of the standing faculty. We are looking for evidence of seriousness, of preparation, and of fit with the cohort — not for a particular institutional pedigree. We have admitted participants from research universities, from industry, from small open-source projects, and straight out of undergraduate study.
Timeline
| Step | Typical timing |
|---|---|
| Registration opens | 7 July 2026 |
| Rolling review begins | Within one week of opening |
| Decisions communicated | 2–3 weeks after each application |
| Final cohort confirmed | 30 June 2026 (or earlier if full) |
| Programme begins | 20 July 2026 |
Fees and what they cover
Programme fees vary by cohort and are confirmed when registration opens. They cover tuition, all course materials, lab access, lunch on weekdays and the opening and closing dinners. Accommodation on the Craiova campus is offered separately at cost; off-site accommodation is also available in the city. Group discounts and early-bird rates are usually available; invoice payment for organisations is accepted.
Scholarships
Each year we award a small number of need-based scholarships and partial discounts, funded by the Academy and by sponsoring organisations. Scholarship applicants should follow the standard application process and add a single additional paragraph at the end of their statement of interest, briefly setting out their circumstances. All scholarship applications are read in confidence.
Sponsorship and custom programmes
Companies, foundations and public bodies wishing to sponsor a place, host a guest lecture, fund a track or commission a closed cohort are warmly welcome. We have worked with sponsors on programmes ranging from secure software for national infrastructure to digital safeguarding for teachers.
Please write to office@chen.ist with a short note of what you have in mind and we will reply with a proposal.