The Second GEDIS European Summer School of Information Science and Gender Held in Opava, Czech Republic

The Second GEDIS European Summer School of Information Science and Gender Held in Opava, Czech Republic

The GEDIS European Summer School of Information Science and Gender (ESSISGEN 2026) took place from 24 to 28 August 2026 in Opava, Czech Republic, organized by Slezská univerzita v Opavě (Silesian University in Opava) as part of the Erasmus+ project GEDIS – Gender Diversity in Information Science: Challenges in Higher Education, coordinated by Universitat de Barcelona.

Students from the University of Sarajevo – Faculty of Philosophy participated in the Summer School, together with Professor Dr. Lejla Hajdarpašić and Assist. Professor Dr. Džejla Khattab. Among the participants were students from the Department of Comparative Literature and Information Sciences, who collaborated in Opava with students and teaching staff from partner institutions: Universitat de Barcelona (Spain), Stiftung Universität Hildesheim (Germany), Carinthia University of Applied Sciences (Austria), Sveučilište u Zadru (Croatia), Sveučilište Josipa Jurja Strossmayera u Osijeku (Croatia), and Slezská univerzita v Opavě (Czech Republic).

The academic programme of ESSISGEN 2026 focused on gender perspectives and inclusivity in information science through lectures, workshops, group work, presentations, and discussions. A special part of the programme was dedicated to the development of Open Educational Resources (OERs). Before the Summer School, students began their work in national teams through online sessions, while during ESSISGEN 2026 they continued working in international teams. This approach enabled the exchange of knowledge and experiences and the collaborative creation of educational materials with students from different European countries. As part of their work on these materials, students explored a range of topics, including hate speech and misinformation, the representation of women and minorities in science, video games and gender, and the importance of inclusive user experience (UX).

ESSISGEN 2026 provided students with opportunities for international academic collaboration, intercultural exchange, and working in a multicultural environment, contributing to their academic and professional development.

Following the Summer School, the GEDIS project partners also held a project meeting in Opava, with particular attention given to upcoming project activities, including the international conference that the University of Sarajevo will organize in December 2026 as part of the GEDIS project.

GEDIS – Gender Diversity in Information Science: Challenges in Higher Education
Erasmus+ | 2024-1-ES01-KA220-HED-000246558