We are happy to invite you to participate in the emma Doctoral Summer School 2025, hosted by imec-SMIT-Vrije Universiteit Brussel from September 2-5 in Brussels, Belgium. The application deadline is the 1st of May 2025.
As one of the main activities of the European Media Management Association (emma), the emma Summer School provides a welcoming international environment for early-career researchers (PhD researchers and early postdocs) to present and advance their research while building valuable professional networks.
The emma 2025 Doctoral Summer School will focus on the following key areas:
- Career development sessions: Topics include enhancing skills for writing and publishing in academic journals, developing research collaboration, building a portfolio, and networking in the academic community.
- Research/thesis feedback sessions: The summer school participants will present their ongoing work and receive constructive feedback from senior academics and fellow participants.
- Sessions on methodology, with a focus on innovative research methods: Exploration of emerging research methods and research designs, including the use of accessible AI-powered tools for analysis.
- Industry sessions with invited speakers: The summer school participants will get opportunities to engage with industry professionals to discuss current topics relevant to the digital transformation of media industries to create practice-relevant knowledge.
The summer school will cover the following themes:
Digital transformation of media industries
- AI and data in media industries;
- Platformisation in media industries;
- The interplay between policy and markets;
You will find the draft program for the summer school below. Please note that adjustments will be made to reflect the research areas and specific needs of the doctoral students and early-career post-docs involved.
In addition to scholars from SMIT-VUB, distinguished scholars from other universities, especially those within the emma community, will join as lecturers and mentors. The confirmed senior scholars at this time are Päivi Maijanen from LUT University, Finland, Castulus Kolo from Macromedia University, Germany, Tom Evens from Ghent University, Belgium and Tim Raats from VUB, Belgium. For the latest updates, please visit the emma website and check the “Summer Schools” section.
Registration fee
The Summer School is scheduled to start at 9 a.m. on September 2nd and will conclude in the afternoon of September 5th, running for four days.
The Summer School’s registration fee is 220 EUR per person for emma members and 260 EUR per person for non-members. The fee covers the summer school, lunches, coffee breaks, and participation in the evening events during free time.
The registration fee does not include travel to and from Brussels or accommodation. We have arranged special accommodation rates, which will be shared with participants.
Summer school grant
The European Media Management Association provides a Doctoral Summer School Grant. It aims to support PhD students and early-stage post-docs in financially challenging situations to help them participate at the Summer School. Up to five grants, each up to €400 are offered to allow the recipient to offset part of the expenses for registration, travel and accommodation. You can find more information here.
Summer school program
| Time | Tuesday
September 2 |
Wednesday
September 3 |
Thursday
September 4 |
Friday
September 5 |
| 9-12 (with a short coffee break) | Welcome to the VUB: Start of official program & introductions | Research/thesis feedback session (presentation of ongoing work and feedback) | Site visit to media company in Antwerp with industry session | Methodology session (emerging research methods and designs, including use of accessible AI powered tools for analysis) |
| 12-13 | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch in Antwerp | Lunch |
|
13-14.30 |
Platformisation in media industries (Lecture)
|
AI and data in media industries (Lecture) |
Research/thesis feedback session (presentation of ongoing work and feedback) |
Media management and economics: Theories and future directions (Lecture) |
|
14.30-15.00 |
Coffee-break | Travel to Schuman area | Coffee-break | Coffee-break |
|
15.00-16.00 |
Career development session (publishing in academic journals) |
Site visit to the EU institutions in Brussels |
Methodology session (emerging research methods and designs, including use of accessible AI powered tools for analysis) |
Interplay between policy and markets (Lecture) |
|
16.00-17.00 |
Visit to a Brussels-based media organisation with an industry session |
Brussels experience (organised visit) |
Industry session with invited speaker | Career development session (developing research collaborations, building portfolio and networking in the academic community) |
|
Evening events |
Film screening with snacks & drinks after the visit of the media organisation |
Organised dinner |
Leisure time for activities in Brussels |
Organised dinner at local restaurant in Brussels |
Application procedure
PhD researchers and early-stage postdocs from and outside emma community are eligible to apply for the Summer School. The research focus can cover a wide range of subject areas linked to media management and media economics, such as business, management, communication, creative and cultural industries, journalism, media studies, and media industry studies.
All interested researchers need to apply by 1 May 2025. The application must include an abstract of the PhD project or research in progress (max. 500 words) and a short bio (max. 300 words). The structured abstract must address the following:
- Research question(s) and objectives
- Theoretical framework
- Design/methodology
- Contribution
- State of project: what is the status of your data collection/fieldwork
Applications should be sent to Ivana Kostovska, SMIT-VUB (ivana.kostovska@vub.be) and Tim Raats, SMIT-VUB (tim.raats@vub.be) by 1st of May 2025 (by midnight CET). Confirmation of acceptance/decline will be sent to applicants by the 20th of May 2025.
Participants will also be asked to prepare a brief presentation of their thesis or their ongoing research. Further instructions will be provided closer to the Summer School.
About the summer school location
Super-diverse, ultra-cosmopolitan, multilingual, and socially stratified: Brussels is a city like no other. And in the middle of that unique fabric lies Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB). The university has more than 21,000 students from 145 countries. VUB stands for core values of freedom, equality, and solidarity, and upholds the principle of free research – in which self-reflection, a critical attitude and an open, creative mind on scientific and social issues. VUB includes the research group imec-SMIT, which specializes in research on media and ICT. Established in 1990 at the VUB, the SMIT research group – currently housing 120+ researchers – has grown into a major research centre in Europe. SMIT’s objective is to understand the impact of technology on everyday practices and create design and strategic guidelines to shape innovation in line with user needs and expectations.
The research group has attracted and implemented large-scale publicly funded initiatives on digital innovations such as the Media Hub Brussels. It is host to expert centres on media use, media and data literacy, (Mediawijs, Kenniscentrum Data & Maatschappij, Mediapunt). SMIT has also set up, hosted and co-managed international networks with a strong impact, such as the European Network of Living Labs, the Big Data Value Association and Open and Agile Smart Cities. We have conducted studies for the European Commission, European Parliament, Belgian public and private broadcasters, Google, and the Flemish Producers’ organisation, among others. The hosting unit at SMIT will be the Media Economic and Policy Unit, which houses 24 researchers working on media markets and policy. SMIT’s research also concentrates on journalism, public service media, and participatory culture, aiming to deepen our understanding of media practices. Additionally, we explore media, marketing and user experience, among other research areas.
Our work is focused on the transformative impact of global platforms on the production, distribution and consumption of media content. Our approach aligns business modelling and market analysis both on a meso (sectoral) level and individual (firm) level.
For an impression of the wonderful location, check out this video.
For questions related to the call and the application, please write to the organizers from SMIT-VUB, Ivana Kostovska (ivana.kostovska@vub.be) and Tim Raats (tim.raats@vub.be).
For questions related to the application for summer school grants, please write to emma Secretary Dinara Tokbaeva (dinara.tokbaeva@ju.se)
Looking forward to your applications!