Three days of an intensive program, top lecturers, professionals from various fields of academic and clinical oncology representing several European universities, and over 30 students who were not afraid to tackle challenging topics such as preclinical research, drug development, or bioinformatics. That was the 4EU+ Against Cancer Summer School – a project of the European University Alliance 4EU+, with Czech contributions to the academic program provided by researchers from the National Institute for Cancer Research (NICR).
"The aim of the whole event was to show especially undergraduate students that while cancer research is a long-distance race, it's absolutely worth being part of it. In addition to lectures and networking, the program also included student presentations. Some of them were truly inspiring and insightful even for the 'grown-ups'. Others felt a bit superficial, but that too is part of the learning curve – that’s often where the most learning happens," says NICR director Aleksi Šedo, who was also one of the three co-organizers of the 4EU+ Against Cancer Summer School, which took place on July 7–9, 2025, at the Sorbonne in Paris.
“We are pleased to say that the Czech lecturers were not only excellent, but all of them also came from NICR, which provided expert patronage for the summer school. The international team of lecturers from the 4EU+ alliance was complemented by colleagues from the Sorbonne and University of Warsaw,” adds Aleksi Šedo. Students who came from Prague, Warsaw, Paris, Copenhagen, Milan, and Heidelberg took home not only 4 ECTS credits, but also new contacts and a healthy dose of motivation. "The summer school showed that when science, international cooperation, and a bit of youthful enthusiasm come together, it can be a really contagious combination—figuratively speaking, of course," concludes Aleksi Šedo in his reflection on this year’s 4EU+ Against Cancer Summer School.
Photo: Sorbonne Archives
