Deadline:
April 24, 2026
Program Starts: July 13, 2026
Program Ends: August 22, 2026
Location(s)
United Kingdom
21 Buccleuch Pl, Edinburgh EH8 9LN
Overview
The Scottish Universities’ International Summer School (SUISS) is one of the oldest and most prestigious summer schools in Britain. Founded by Professor David Daiches in 1947, the summer school brings together students and academics who, irrespective of their national, religious, cultural or gender differences, share a love of literature and the arts. The summer school strives to share in the inclusive spirit of the Edinburgh International Festival and British Council, also founded in the same year!
Details
SUISS is affiliated with seven prestigious universities: The University of Aberdeen, The University of Dundee, The University of Edinburgh, The University of Glasgow, The Open University in Scotland, The University of St Andrews, and The University of Strathclyde.
Our Courses:
Each summer, SUISS offers three Text and Context courses on British and Irish Literature from 1900 to the Present, alongside one course in Creative Writing and one in Contemporary British and Irish Theatre and Performance.
The Text and Context programme includes courses in Modernism, Contemporary Literature, and Scottish Literature. These provide a comprehensive, interdisciplinary exploration of British and Irish writing in relation to key social and cultural developments of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Over more than a century of literary innovation, students engage with the dynamic and diverse traditions of English, Irish, and Scottish texts, examined alongside developments in modern literary theory.
The Creative Writing programme is among the most vibrant and varied in the UK. This four-week course offers emerging writers an encouraging and collaborative environment to develop their craft across fiction, poetry, drama, and non-fiction. Participants also enjoy exclusive author-led masterclasses and readings by acclaimed writers.
The Contemporary British and Irish Theatre and Performance programme offers an immersive two-week course on the theory and practice of drama in the modern era. Students gain an in-depth, hands-on introduction to the vibrant landscape of contemporary theatre—timed to coincide with both the Edinburgh International Festival and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The experience is further enriched through workshops delivered by Playwrights’ Studio Scotland, the country’s leading organisation dedicated to supporting playwrights.
Opportunity is About
Eligibility
Candidates should be from:
Description of Ideal Candidate
The courses at SUISS are intensive, flexible, and attract students of a high calibre. SUISS has much to offer students of various levels of academic experience. In addition to undergraduate students, SUISS has also been valuable for postgraduates and teachers, who often make use of The National Library of Scotland’s and The University of Edinburgh’s extensive library resources for their own research.
Dates
Deadline: April 24, 2026
Program starts:
July 13, 2026
Program ends:
August 22, 2026
Program Starts: July 13, 2026
Program Ends: August 22, 2026
Cost/funding for participants
Scholarships
Thanks to the continued support of our sponsors, SUISS is able to offer scholarships for applicants who are from specific countries, including the UK, who specialise in certain subjects, or for exceptional literature students who would be unable to attend SUISS without financial assistance. Please note that we offer full and partial scholarships. Successful applicants are responsible for their own travel arrangements and spending money.
When making your application, please indicate for which scholarship you are applying on page 4 of the regular application form (there is no separate application for scholarships). Be sure to include a letter explaining why you wish to be considered. One of your referees should also support your scholarship application in his/her letter of reference.
Applications must be received no later than 28th March 2026. Awards are made on the basis of genuine financial need, academic merit and the contribution which the candidate seems likely to make to the general life of the School. Recipients are chosen by a panel of academics from our affiliated universities, who specialise in a relevant subject such as Scottish Literature.
Un-save Opportunity
Internships, scholarships, student conferences and competitions.
