BUP winter school Science by the Coast
Photo: Krzysztof Kowalik
- Date: 2–6 February 2026
- Location: Hamburg University of Applied Sciences
- Type: Course, Workshop
- Web page
- Organiser: The Baltic University Programme (BUP), University of Gdansk
- Contact person: The BUP Coordinating Secretariat
The winter school will be held at Hel Marine Station and focus on coastal and marine development in the Baltic Sea Region. The event will take place from 2-6 February 2026. All bachelor's, master and PhD students at BUP participating universities are invited to apply.
Participants will explore local strategies to address challenges along the Baltic Sea coastline and gain insights they can apply in their home countries. Additionally, students will enhance their research skills, while PhD students will gain valuable experience supervising student projects.
The winter school will consist of workshops, excursions, and lectures exploring the following topics:
- Introduction to the Hel Peninsula and the Puck Bay
- Societal Development vs. Biodiversity
- Environmental aspects of area management
- Socio-economic aspects of area management
- Offshore activities – Marine Spatial Planning
A key part of the winter school is the case studies that accepted students will conduct in small groups under the supervision of PhD students. In the weeks before the winter school, students are expected to prepare questions and outline their case study plans. During the event, each group will collect data, consult experts, study key indicators, and learn to draw conclusions to better understand coastal development in the Baltic Sea. On the final day, the students will present their findings to their peers.
The winter school at Hel Marine Station is the first of three events connected to the Swedish Institute-financed project 'CoMaDe - Coastal and Marine Development through Collaboration and Interdisciplinary Learning'. The project aims to foster connections among students across the region and deepen their understanding of sustainability challenges along the Baltic Sea coastline.
Those students who are accepted to take part in the event are expected to gain the following:
- Improved knowledge of the Baltic Sea environment and its importance for regional societies and economies.
- Insights regarding different environmental indicators related to the Baltic Sea.
- Practical, interdisciplinary approaches to solving environmental problems.
- Skills in intercultural and interdisciplinary collaboration.
The application deadline was 2 November 2025, 23:59 (CEST).
Information about the winter school Science by the Coast on the BUP website.