The summer school was an activity of the European University Ulysseus, organised under the auspices of the Regional Science Association International (RSAI) and prepared in cooperation with partner universities: University of Seville (USE; Spain), Université Côte d’Azur (UniCA; France), and University of Genoa (UniGe; Italy). Collaboration with the city of Košice and its municipal organisations, whose experts were available for consultations and guided tours throughout the city, was also very significant feature of the event.Moreover as such, the activity was a practical outcome of the first joint Ulysseus research group focused on the economy and smart cities.
Esteemed experts such as Carlos Moreno (author of the 15-minute City concept) and Catherine Gall (France), Peter Nijkamp and Karima Kourtit (Netherlands), Neil Reid (USA), and Umut Türk (Turkey). Ulysseus was actively represented by researchers Pedro Palos (USE), Alessio Tei and Claudio Ferrari (UniGe), Paulo Moura (UniCA), and a team from the Faculty of Economics at TUKE (Oto Hudec, Peter Džupka, Miriam Šebová, Lenka Maličká, and Tomáš Želinský)brought the highest level of current and specialised knowledge to the event.
The summer school hosted a total of 29 PhD students and young researchers from eight universities: 18 PhD students from Ulysseus member universities (USE, UniCA, UniGe) and other partner universities of TUKE (University of Pardubice, Czech Republic; Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary; and Kaunas University of Technology, Lithuania). Eleven participants from Slovakia (TUKE, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice, Institute for Climate and Development, and Trenčín 2026 European Capital of Culture)complemented the group of international participants. They came from 4 continents and 12 countries (Bangladesh, Chile, Ghana, India, Iran, Italy, Pakistan, Palestine, Spain, Syria, Ukraine, and Slovakia).
The summer school was organised as a Blended Intensive Programme (BIP), supporting the internationalisation and mobility of students.
The programme offered a diverse mix of high-quality lectures, workshops, fieldwork, and practical activities, allowing participants to explore various aspects of urban development in Košice.
Introductory online kick-off meeting introduced the topic and organisation of the following onsite part of the event.
The event was officially opened at the TUKE rectorate attended by the university management and distinguished guests who gave their keynote presentations. The city of Košice showed great respect and support for the event, with keynote speakers being officially received at the Old Town Hall by Vice Mayor Marcel Gibóda. The first day culminated at KasárneKulturparkin an evening conference on the 15-minute city concept, featuring speakers like Carlos Moreno, Peter Nijkamp, Catherine Gall, and Karima Kourtit. The conference was organised by Creative Industry Košice in cooperation with the Košice Self-governing Region, the City of Košice, TUKE, and other partners.
Lectures, workshops but also intensive team work sessions (as part of the Hack the City block) fulfilled the following days taking part mainly in the University Science Park TECHNICOM. Students had the opportunity to consult with invited experts daily during the Meet the Professors block. The programme also included fieldwork: city and green space tours, visits to the Košice City Hall, ANTIK Telecom’s service centre, IDS Východ, Stará Sladovňa, and a hike to the Hradová lookout tower.
On the fourth day, during the Bootcamp block, teams finalised their proposals for the X-factors of Košice and attended an innovative lecture by the globally renowned Professor Neil Reid (The Beer Professor) from the University of Toledo (USA) at the Hostinec Brewery.
The week-long efforts culminated on the final day, with teams presenting their findings and proposals. Discussions with experts and invited guests followed the teams’ presentations. Participants’ work continues as they refine and complete their policy studies based on feedback from the experts during the summer months.
The summer school Exploring the X-Factor of a City brought countless inspirational moments and groundbreaking ideas that can have a positive impact on the development of Košice. A week full of lectures, workshops, fieldwork, and lively discussions transformed Košice into an epicentre of innovative thinking and international collaboration in urban development.
The final presentations revealed that the X-factor of Košice lies not only in its history and culture but also in its ability to adapt and innovate. The proposals and visions of young researchers offered real solutions that can contribute to improving the quality of life in the city.
The success of this summer school would not have been possible without the exceptional support and continuous cooperation between TUKE, its partner universities (especially within the Ulysseus European University), experts from around the world, and numerous sponsors and partners.
We are deeply grateful to all who contributed to the realisation of this event and look forward to future similar initiatives that will allow us to continue exploring and defining the X-factors of our city. Especially we thank to event partners and sponsors:The Regional Science Academy (TRSA), RSAI, The City of Košice, Creative Industry Košice, VISIT Košice, Hotel Crystal, Slovak – French University Institute (SFUI), Antik Telecom andKOSIT.
