Welcome to the ICO Graduate Spring School

Posted on October 29, 2025 by admin

Networking event

The ICO Graduate Spring School is a two-day networking event for all ICO members organised every two years, and is designed to immerse you in the research projects currently being carried out. It offers opportunities to exchange ideas, spark discussion, and gain fresh insights through interactive workshops.

Join a panel discussion on Thursday morning and workshops on the Friday morning. You can take part in the Meet-your-Theme Group lunch to explore future ICO courses and events join. In both afternoons, the PhD-presentation sessions will give you a supportive environment in which to refine your skills, with ICO Fellows chairing the sessions and contributing as discussants. On Thursday evening we invite you to unwind during the informal social gathering.

If you do not already have accommodation nearby, we suggest staying in a nearby hotel to be present for the full programme as well as the social programme on Thursday evening. Information regarding available hotels and hostels can be found on our website.

PhD candidate presentations

The presentation sessions

The focus of the Graduate School is on you, as ICO PhD. You will present your project in a paper or poster presentation, or discuss it during a round table session.

For all presentation sessions it is required to send in a per and an abstract 1 March 2026 at the latest using the submission form. All papers will be accepted automatically.

More information about the different presentation types and how to prepare for the sessions can be found on the website, on the pages on Presentations.

ICO fellows: our discussants and chairs

While the PhD-candidates are presenting their work, all attending ICO fellows – including senior fellows and associate fellows – will have a role either as chair of a session or as a discussant. Of course, we will try to give all fellows the opportunity to be present as an auditor at the presentations of the projects they are involved in themselves, either as a promoter or as a supervisor. If you have any special wishes regarding the presentations of your PhD-candidates you want to attend, please let us know, using your registration form.

Registration and deadlines

Registration is open from mid-December until 1 March, 2026.
Are you presenting? Submit your paper and abstract by 1 March at the latest using the submission form.

Do you want to attend, but cannot attend both days? No problem! You can also register for just one day, although full time PhD members are expected to join us for the full event.

Registration Fee

no fee

More information

Join the ICO GSS as an observer.

In case you are not ready to present your work or if you have already done so in previous years, you are warmly invited to join us at the GSS as an observer. Join us to meet up with your ICO-peers and enjoy the opportunity to learn from all presentations, discussions and workshops. Be aware that no ECTS are awarded to PhD members who attend the Spring School as observer.

Workshops

On Friday morning we will organise several workshops. All visitors to the Graduate Spring School can attend the workshops. There will be room for ca. 20 people in each workshop. More information about the workshops can be found on the page “Workshops” in due time.

Special session

Meet-Your-Theme-Group-session: The aim of this session is for the theme group coordinators to meet with PhDs and fellows with a research interest in a specific theme. It is an informal meeting where you can shortly meet face-to face to inform each other about the courses offered within ICO by the theme group as well as discuss what kind of workshops would be of interest for future courses or ICO’s Open Graduate School.

We are looking forward to meeting you all again!

The organisation committee,

Chris Witteveen
Emma Oudheusden
Johannes Serfontein
Robert-Jan Korteland
Caroline Vonk

Category: ICO GSS News