EPACE Summer School 2026

The future of compact accelerators amid Crete's stunning surroundings

EPACE held its first Summer School, on compact accelerators and future applications. Participants were invited for a five-day Summer School, taking place from May 4–8, 2026, on the beautiful island of Crete.

The Summer School brought together 30 students for an intensive and inspiring programme in the exceptional setting of Crete. Across more than 20 lectures, participants explored key topics in plasma accelerator's research and benefited from lectures given by leading scientists from excellent institutions across Europe, including the University of Oxford, CERN, the University of Liverpool, and Paul Scherrer Institut PSI. The lectures addressed following topics: Plasma Physics, Laser-plasma interaction, Machine Learning, Medical Applications of Very High Energy Electrons, Muons, Numerical Methods, Accelerator Physics, Strong-Field QED, Beam-driven plasma wakefield acceleration, X-ray light sources and Laser Technology for Accelerators. The students also participated in an interactive FBIC tutorial including a challenge.

A particular highlight was the poster session, which gave students the opportunity to present their work and exchange ideas with supervisors and lecturers in a lively and highly international atmosphere. The combination of high-level scientific input, engaging discussion, and the beautiful surroundings of Crete made the Summer School a truly memorable experience.

The first week of the Summer School (27 April–4 May 2026) was dedicated to EPACE Fellows and supervisors. They took part in an intensive two-day training on PhD supervision, designed for both supervisors and PhD researchers, covering topics such as “Aligning Expectations,” “Managing Your Supervisor(s),” and “Active Listening.” In addition, the Fellows attended a training session on “Diversity in the Workplace,” which addressed topics such as unconscious bias, microaggressions, and how to respond to them.