Cumulus PhD Network is launching a call for short papers, dedicated exclusively to PhD students, inviting them to share their doctoral research during the Cumulus Athens 2026 conference in a dynamic Pecha Kucha format (20 slides advancing automatically every 20 seconds).

The call is open to current PhD students only (excluding post-doctoral researchers). Submissions must be made individually, without the participation of supervisors, tutors or co-authors.

The PhD Network Track does not follow a specific topic and is not linked to one of the conference themes. It is intended for PhD students who wish to present their research and receive feedback from the Cumulus Network community in an engaging, live, multi-national setting. Authors should submit an abstract (maximum 500 words) and a short paper (maximum 2000 words) describing their research via the Cumulus Athens 2026 submission system.

Submitted proposals will undergo a double-blind peer review process prior to acceptance. Selected papers will be presented in one or more dedicated sessions during the conference and published in the Cumulus Athens 2026 conference proceedings. Presentations are strongly encouraged to take place in person; however, a limited number of online presentation slots will be made available to accommodate participants who are unable to travel to Athens.

Formatting and submission requirements are detailed on the Submission platform.

Cumulus PhD Network submission deadline EXTENDED: 8 March 2026.
Submission link: https://pcoconvin.eventsair.com/cumulus26/phd-network-submission
Conference website: https://cumulusathens2026.uniwa.gr/

OPEN CALL — The International Summercamp 2026 takes place May 29th–June 7th and is organized by the @bauhaus_dessau_foundation as part of the Real-World Laboratory ZEKIWA Zeitz (RZZ) @reallabor_zekiwa_zeitz.

International students, graduates, and early-career practitioners in the fields of art, architecture, design, and related disciplines are invited to spend 10 days exploring the circular economy and future transformation potential.

Applications should be submitted by 19th February 2026, 11:59 pm CET.

Under the title ‚Irregular Circularities‘, the 10-day summer camp will bring together different positions from various academics, architects, artists, designers, local actors, and students to collectively debate and practice visions for such regions in transition. With programme days taking place in both the town of Zeitz and at the Bauhaus Dessau Foundation in Dessau-Roßlau (Germany), the summer camp is divided into four thematic areas: soil, energy, air, and dreams. Through a series of hands-on workshops, experimental learning platforms, and keynote lectures, a set of multiscale possibilities will be explored to gain local, resource-efficient, and sustainable impulses for the former ZEKIWA area, the Zeitz locality, and beyond.

The full application requirements and further thematic information can be found via the Link in Bio of @reallabor_zekiwa_zeitz or via
www.reallabor-zekiwa-zeitz.de
Camp’s website: https://www.reallabor-zekiwa-zeitz.de/summercamp-en

The DBEW Award 2026, co-organized by the ADI Design Museum—the institution that awards the world-renowned Compasso d’Oro — and Kookmin University, a leading design education institution in Asia, invites submissions from design students and educators worldwide from January 1 to March 15, 2026.

DBEW (Design Beyond East and West) is founded on the vision of transcending cultural boundaries between East and West, pursuing harmonious design where Eastern and Western values coexist in response to a sustainable future society.

The DBEW Award 2026 is an international design award established to present future-oriented directions for global design education and to discover creative talents capable of integrally interpreting and harmonizing Eastern and Western values.

Unlike conventional design awards that focus solely on finalized outcomes, the DBEW Award 2026 evaluates the excellence of works generated through creative educational processes. By defining education and learning as a form of design collaboration, DBEW is the first international design award to identify and honor talents who embody sustainability, cultural balance and diversity, creative experimentation, and global design leadership, while also officially recognizing the creative leadership of educators demonstrated throughout the process.

Apply here with your idea by 15 March 2026.

Official website : dbewaward.com/

Students are invited to enter the Global Sportswear Design Award (GSDA) – MovEmpower, one of the world’s leading international sportswear design competitions, in partnership with London College of Fashion, UAL, Tsinghua University, and ANTA.

Read more in the competition leaflet The 3rd Global Sportswear Design Award.
Competition website here.

Every year from April to June, the city of Pforzheim, in cooperation with Pforzheim University of Applied Sciences and the Design Center Baden-Württemberg, invites international young designers to Pforzheim as part of the “Designers in Residence” scholarship programme. “Designers in Residence” is aimed at young designers from the fields of jewellery, fashion, accessories, industrial and communication design as well as other design disciplines. Interdisciplinary working methods are also welcome. A total of three scholarship holders will be invited to EMMA – Kreativzentrum Pforzheim for a three-month work phase.

Scholarship holders are provided with fully equipped workstations in the workshops at the creative centre as well as accommodation for the duration of the scholarship. The workshops at Pforzheim University can also be used if required. In addition, each scholarship holder receives a monthly allowance and reimbursement of travel expenses for travelling to and from the centre. The results of the scholarship are then presented in an exhibition at EMMA – Kreativzentrum Pforzheim.

The closing date for applications is 3 November 2025, 23:59 CET. The application can only be submitted online.

Check the details here.

Several student teams are already exploring the TITAN platform, diving into interactive activities that challenge how we think, question, and respond to online content.

The CRITICALLY YOURS design challenge invites young creatives to reimagine how we promote critical thinking and information integrity in the age of AI.

The creative journey is just getting started — Registrations are still open, and there’s still time to join!

Are you ready to design for impact?
Become part of a challenge that will culminate in a live event in Rome this November.

In the CRITICALLY YOURS challenge, one of the Awards in each category is intended for the CUMULUS association participant members.

🗓 Final event: November 20th, 2025, Rome
🔗 More info: https://www.titanthinking.eu/designchallenge

#CriticallyYours #DesignChallenge #CriticalThinking #InformationIntegrity #TITANProject #AI4Good #YouthVoice

Calling all students from around the world! The theme for 2025 is: “Living Together in an Era of Conflict: Societal Design Transcending Boundaries” We invite you to create innovative and compassionate design solutions that explore how people can live together despite conflicts, give voice to marginalized communities, and build meaningful connections in today’s digital age.

Co-hosted by Dongseo University (Korea), Kyushu University (Japan), and Tongji University (China), the competition provides a platform for young creatives to contribute toward building a sustainable and peaceful global society aligned with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It is free to enter and has been a growing platform since 2019, attracting participation from over 20 countries.

Competition website: https://www.design.kyushu-u.ac.jp/en/topics/28201/

Application Period: October 1 (Tue) – October 30 (Thu), 2025

Do you believe everything you read online?

Research shows that our critical thinking skills often falter when we encounter content shared by
friends, making us less likely to question its accuracy and more prone to sharing it ourselves.
This challenge directly addresses this growing concern by exploring how Artificial Intelligence
(AI) can help promote information quality and integrity.

It draws inspiration from the EU H2020 Research project TITAN (https://www.titanthinking.eu/)
that developed an AI tool that combines the principles of the Socratic method and experiential
learning to create an intelligent coaching application. Through interactive dialogues, users are
guided to develop the skills needed to deconstruct media narratives, question assumptions,
recognize biases, discern truth from manipulation, and independently assess the reliability of
content—thereby enhancing critical thinking and media literacy skills, and ultimately contributing
to a more trustworthy, informed, and democratic public sphere.

The CRITICALLY YOURS design challenge will culminate in a 1-day event during TITAN Final
Meeting in Rome, where students from selected schools will have the opportunity to showcase
prototypes and take part in a talk/presentation session discussing their projects.

Read more here.