Winter/Summer School for Junior Scholars

ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Each year since 2023, the ICON•S Winter/Summer School has brought together a small group of junior scholars from around the world for an intensive program of research methods, writing, mentorship, and community.

The ICON•S Winter/Summer School provides approximately twelve to fifteen junior scholars with a unique platform to enrich their sense of connection and community within ICON•S. The program combines introductory sessions, collaborative workshops, and mentorship. At its core are sessions conducted by leading scholars in the field on methodologies, writing and publishing, select skills, and career planning.

A standout feature of the school is the opportunity for participants to workshop a draft article or chapter. Under the guidance of experienced mentors, and with feedback from peers and instructors, junior scholars refine their research and present their work. The program encourages engagement, collaboration, and the cultivation of lasting connections among the next generation of public law scholars.

The school is held in Sydney, Australia, and hosted by the University of New South Wales.

Who Can Apply

Applications are open to all junior scholars. A junior scholar is an aspiring career academic who self-identifies as such and/or whose terminal degree for entering the profession has not yet begun, is in the process of being completed, or was earned within the previous five years (excluding career breaks). Participants are selected by a special ICON•S sub-committee, by reference to principles of racial and geographic diversity and gender parity.

What Is Provided

In previous editions, there has been no application fee, and the organizers have provided accommodation for the duration of the school, visa fees, and some meals. A limited number of travel bursaries have been available for participants unable to secure funding from their home institution or other sources, with priority given to scholars from the Global South. The arrangements for each edition are set out in its call for applications.

How to Apply

A call for applications is published on this page each year and announced to ICON•S members by email. Applications are submitted through Oxford Abstracts and typically include a CV, a cover letter, an abstract of the paper or chapter to be workshopped, and an optional financial aid statement. A select number of applicants may be invited for interviews before a final decision.

PREVIOUS EDITIONS

Previous editions of the Winter/Summer School were held in Sydney from 21 to 30 June 2023, from 16 to 24 May 2024, from 14 to 23 May 2025, and from 13 to 22 May 2026. See the programs of the previous editions for more details: 2023 program, 2024 program, 2025 program, and 2026 program.

APPLICATIONS

Applications for the 2027 edition of the Winter/Summer School, to be held in Sydney from 17 to 27 May 2027, closed on 31 October 2026. The next call for applications will be published on this page and announced to ICON•S members by email.

CONVENED AND ORGANIZED BY

The ICON•S Winter/Summer School is convened by Professor Rosalind Dixon (UNSW Sydney, former Co-President of ICON•S) and organized by ICON•S through its Committee on Community and Engagement, together with partner institutions. Since 2023, the school has been made possible by the support of the UNSW Gilbert + Tobin Centre of Public Law, the UNSW Resilient Democracy Lab, the NUS Law Centre for Asian Legal Studies, the Centre for Comparative and Public Law at HKU Law, the uOttawa Public Law Centre, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, ICON•S Australia and New Zealand, the Manos Foundation, Universität Hamburg, and Universität Münster.