Design+Science Summer School Ljubljana 2026

Piran /
Portorose, Slovenia
6—10 July 2026

Contrary to common belief, we are all made of... sea. Our blood runs salty, our cells are suspended in fluid, and somewhere in our deep evolutionary past we left the water. But the sea never left us. We carry it within, a private ocean beneath the skin. So what have we forgotten?

We have learned to treat the sea as a dump, a resource, a postcard, a shipping lane, anything but the system we come from. Rising waters, acidification, and collapsing ecosystems are not distant events. They are feedback.

This summer school does not aim to fix the ocean. Instead, we approach it as a thinking partner, a 3.8 billion year old, self regulating, interdependent system that has outlasted any model we have built.

Marine science can measure the change. Design, art, and the humanities can shift the imagination behind it. Neither is enough alone.

For five days in Piran, we bring together students of science, design, and the humanities. Not to solve the sea, but to learn from it.

Topics
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1. Invasion Below the Surface
The ocean is becoming a shifting biosphere where species, bacteria, and human influence collide, creating ecosystems defined by constant disruption rather than equilibrium.

2. Life in a Warming Seas
As seas warm, coastlines sink, fish vanish, and waters fill with waste, we’re pushed to design for a future where loss and instability define life below and above the surface.

3. Who Owns the Ocean?
Beneath the waves lies a hidden map of trade, cables, and conflict, where control of the sea still shapes power and inequality.

4. Paradise For Rent
Coastlines are being turned into consumable experiences, where tourism packages nature into an image. Often at the cost of the ecosystems and cultures behind it.

Applications for 2026 edition are now open until the May 29th.

Apply now

About D+S
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Design+Science is a multidisciplinary Summer School that promotes exploration and experimentation at the intersection of design and various scientific fields, led by renowned experts in their respective fields. This week-long Summer School includes workshops, guest lectures, tours, and other activities.

The summer school approach is based on multidisciplinary group work. It is open to participants from the design field but also to all related practices such as architecture, art, computer sciences, social sciences, natural sciences and others. Both for master’s and PhD students and young professionals.

It is not based on a fixed design methodology and will be open and flexible enough to allow groups to develop their own path during the school work.

Location

The main venue for the Design+Science Summer School will be the Faculty of Maritime Studies and Transport of the University of Ljubljana, with activities also taking place at various other locations in Piran and Portorose, Slovenia

Admissions

Applications for 2026 are now open.

The participation fee is €300 and includes:

Participation fee for attending the Summer School
Accommodation in a nearby hostel (shared 2–3 beds) for five nights, from July 5 to July 10 *
Meals throughout the program (breakfast, coffee breaks, and lunch)
All materials, excursions, and events related to the summer school

Participants are responsible for arranging their own travel and should bring a laptop or tablet. You may choose to arrange your own accommodation, however, the participation fee remains the same.

* Please note: To encourage interdisciplinary interaction, roommates will be assigned randomly. However, we are committed to providing a comfortable environment and will ensure all room assignments are gender-appropriate.

Programme

Experts

Experts will be announced soon.

Design mentors

Ivica Mitrović
Head of the Visual Communication Department at the Arts Academy, University of Split. He is dealing with speculative scenarios of the near future.

Birgit Bachler
Artist and researcher exploring critical media design, technology, and more-than-human systems. She teaches at FH JOANNEUM.

Dorijan Šiško
Artist and designer that explores the speculative and critical aspects of digital culture and technology. Teaches at UL ALUO.
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Emil Kozole
‍Designer working with emerging technologies and teaches at UL ALUO.

Team
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Boštjan Botas Kenda
Maja Drobne
Borut Jerman
Marina Klemenčič
Emil Kozole
Ana Markežič
Birgit Bachler
Daniel Fabry
Ivica Mitrović

Key facts

Who can participate?

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The program is open to participants from diverse backgrounds and does not require prior expertise in visual communication. We especially welcome applicants from the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities, as well as MSc and PhD students, creatives, and professionals interested in exploring the intersection of design and science. The Summer School is conducted in English, so a good command of both spoken and written English is required.

How to apply and when to expect the participation to be confirmed?

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To apply, please complete the application form, including your contact details and a short CV outlining your background. As part of the application, you will also respond to a question designed to introduce you to the topic and prepare you for the Summer School experience. Applications are open until May 29th. You will be notified of the outcome by June 5th, with further details provided upon acceptance.

What will be the outcomes of the Design+Science Summer School?

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The Summer School aims to deepen participants’ knowledge, skills, and critical understanding of this emerging field through an intensive, guided program.Participants will present their project work on the final day and submit a completed version afterwards; All projects will be published in a final publication. Students who complete the program will receive 3 ECTS credits.

Applications for 2026 edition are now open until the May 29th.

Apply now

Contact

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design.science@pina.si

+386 40 383 255

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A publication reflecting on what we experienced, learned, and changed over five years of running a summer school.

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The term "para" means "beyond" or "beside" and, in the context of intelligence, refers to a type of intelligence that exists beyond what is traditionally recognized as intelligence, including notions such as intuition, creativity, and emotional intelligence that are often overlooked in traditional definitions of intelligence. The aim was to redefine the definition of intelligence in order to understand and predict how it will evolve and what the consequences will be for human and non-human beings on this planet.

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An estimated 8.7 million species populate planet Earth today. We, humans, are the only representatives of at least eight other human species that existed with us 300,000 years ago. Due to our imperative for progress, we are in the process of wiping out one species after another, making us, humans, the dominant species on this planet.
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