Program
 

The program of the summer school Practicing Resilience – Preparing for Recovery will take place in Šibenik Croatia, at the Catholic Primary School in Šibenik, for ten days from June 12 until June 21, 2026. The summer school is intended for 40 students from different Catholic universities interested in learning more about resilience and hope, and acquiring new experiences of people and institutions affected by war and destruction.

This year’s summer school will be held fourth time in row in partnership between the Catholic University of Croatia, the Nanovic Institute for European Studies, University of Notre Dame from the United States, the Ukrainian Catholic University from Ukraine, and the Catholic Universities Partnership. 

Professors and renowned lecturers from numerous Catholic universities will be gathered together to provide students with a unique learning experience. The program emphasizes education with 13 hours of lectures, 7 hours of workshops, 6.5 hours of the capstone project, more than 30 hours of reading materials, and more than 13 hours of cultural activities that will approach resilience and hope from a specific perspective. 

Teaching topics will be covered through interactive teaching methods using different media for students to be actively involved in the teaching process. Due to its holistic approach, the program also consists of spiritual, social, cultural, and sports activities. Reading materials will be sent by the organizer before the beginning of summer school. The working language of the summer school is English. At the end of the program, 3 ECTS credits will be awarded to all participants who will attend classes and actively participate in other activities.

The participants of the summer school should actively participate in daily prayer and are encouraged to participate in the Holy Mass in English every morning.

All participants will have the opportunity to enjoy time at the seashore and to get to know each other. The rich cultural heritage of the city of Dubrovnik enables various cultural activities as part of the program: from visits to the local islands to the city fortresses, to a visit to the sights and churches. Sports activities will be organized in the sports ground where volleyball, soccer, basketball, badminton, and other sports can be played.

The official program will be published soon.

List of lecturers for 2026

1. Professor Margarida Mano, Catholic University of Portugal

Margarida Mano holds a PhD in Management from the University of Southampton and is Vice-Rector at the Portuguese Catholic University. She has served as Portugal’s Minister of Education and Science and as a Member of Parliament, focusing on education, science, culture, youth, and sport.

Her work spans academic leadership and international initiatives in transparency and institutional development. Her teaching and research focus on strategic foresight, scenario planning, and governance innovation, especially in complex, uncertain environments, alongside delivering executive education and developing multidisciplinary learning materials.

2. Associate Professor John Deak, University of Notre Dame 

John Deak is Associate Professor of History at the University of Notre Dame, where he has taught since 2009. He earned his PhD from the University of Chicago and has held visiting positions in Germany.

His research focuses on the Habsburg Empire, state formation, and the First World War. He is the author of Forging a Multinational State (2015), winner of the Austrian State Prize for History, and has published widely on imperial governance, nationalism, and state collapse. He has also contributed to major collaborative research projects, including work with RAND on great power competition.

Deak has received numerous fellowships and awards, including a National Endowment for the Humanities grant, and is active in scholarly service and international academic networks.

3. Assistant Professor Lana Batinić, Catholic University of Croatia

Lana Batinić is assistant professor at the Department of Psychology at Catholic University of Croatia (CUC). She has earned her doctoral degree in psychology in 2019 at the University of Zagreb. She has collaborated on several projects regarding family dynamics and quality of life. Most recently she has participated in the CUC's project about Croatian war veterans' health and their family well-being. Her area of scientific and professional interest is social psychology and specifically close relations. Lana is one of the co-founders of the Family Center of the Catholic University of Croatia and she was awarded for promoting catholic identity of CUC for the academic year 2023./2024. 

4. Assistant Professor Francesca Giordano, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart

Francesca Giordano is Assistant Professor of Developmental and Educational Psychology at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Milan. She is a psychologist and psychotherapist, with expertise in developmental processes and education.

Her teaching and research focus on developmental psychology, with particular attention to resilience, youth mental health, and educational contexts. She contributes to international teaching initiatives and has developed training programmes aimed at supporting students’ personal growth and well-being in complex environments.

In addition to her academic work, she collaborates on international projects and mobility programmes, engaging with multidisciplinary teams and contributing to cross-cultural research and education in psychology.

5. Chiara Ottolenghi, PhD, LUMSA University

Chiara Ottolenghi is a postdoctoral researcher in Marketing and Management at LUMSA University (Rome, Italy). She previously served as a Research Fellow in Marketing and Management at LUMSA, working on communication and personalization through advanced technologies. 
She holds an Industrial PhD (cum laude) from LUMSA University in collaboration with CRM Partners, with a dissertation on the social, organizational, and economic value of sharing-economy services for SMEs and platform ecosystems. 
She was a visiting PhD student at ESCP Business School in Paris (Department of Sustainability). 
Her research interests lie at the intersection of marketing, digital transformation, service and business model innovation, and platform-based business models, with particular attention to value creation and stakeholder outcomes. She teaches marketing-related courses at undergraduate and graduate level and has delivered doctoral-level teaching on topics such as personalization and AI.
 

6.  Annie Seul, PhD, University of Notre Dame

Annie Seul is an educator and program manager at the Nanovic Institute for European Studies at the University of Notre Dame, where she supports research grants, student engagement, and international programs.

She holds a PhD in French Language and Literature from Washington University in St. Louis and teaches French and interdisciplinary courses. Her work focuses on inclusive education, global learning, and expanding opportunities for underserved student populations.

Registration

Summer School: Practicing Resilience – Preparing for Recovery 2023

Here you can find impressions from Alumni Generation 2023 on the summer school Practicing Resilience – Preparing for Recovery which was held in Šibenik from June 30 to July 9, 2023, at at the Catholic Primary School in Šibenik, Croatia.

Nora Kljajić, Catholic University of Croatia, Alumni Generation 2023

My name is Nora Kljajić, I am now a second year undergraduate student in Communication Science at the Catholic University of Croatia. I am extremely grateful that I participated in the Summer School already in my first year of university education. I would like to share my experience with you and encourage you to consider applying for the upcoming Summer School. 

First of all, the lectures of our professors, as well as the workshops we had every day after the lectures, expanded my knowledge about resilience, post-traumatic growth, vulnerability, community recovery and psychology during the war period. I am glad that students from the Ukrainian Catholic University were with us and that I could hear their opinions, struggles and attitudes regarding the situation in which they find themselves. I often found myself thinking about my homeland and the days when my parents, grandparents found themselves in the same situation as  colleagues from Ukraine. In addition to learning a lot of theory through lectures and workshops, I developed compassion and understanding for others in exceptional situations. 

On the other hand, during those ten days we did not just listen to lectures and study. We had the opportunity to visit the most beautiful parts of Šibenik – the Old Town, Šibenik’s fortresses, St. Jacob’s Cathedral, swim on the beach, meet colleagues from all over the world, learn to play new games, socialize. In addition to the fun part, we had a part of the day that was designed for our spiritual growth. We were all looking forward to that part of the day! 

It is an exceptional honor to have the opportunity to be in Šibenik for ten days and expand your knowledge with excellent professors. In addition, having the opportunity to meet people from Catholic universities around the world is, for me, a great advantage in further education, but also in life, so I recommend the Summer School to everyone. 

Iryna Ponchka, Ukrainian Catholic University, Alumni Generation 2023

My name is Iryna, and I am a 3rd-year student of the Cultural Studies program at the Ukrainian Catholic University. This summer, I had the honor of becoming a participant of the summer school “Practicing résilience and preparing for recovery” in Šibenik. 

The combination of learning, cultural program, recreation and community building created a wonderful atmosphere for students and teachers in which we created a friendly community, which we were repeatedly reminded about and this is really one of the most important aspects of this summer school. 

As a student from Ukraine, I really felt the support of foreign participants, especially on the day when a rocket hit a house near our university. This is very valuable for us, but thanks to the knowledge we received, we managed to cope with our emotions. 

And I really liked our capstone projects that we created. Each participant invested a part of himself in them and this is very valuable. 

I am very glad that I became a part of this community, gained valuable experience, useful knowledge and skills and made new friends.

Alumni Generation 2023

Here you can find Alumni Generation 2023 on the summer school Practicing Resilience – Preparing for Recovery which was held in Šibenik from June 30 to July 9, 2023, at at the Catholic Primary School in Šibenik, Croatia.

Summer School: Practicing Resilience. Preparing for Recovery 2022

Here you can find impressions from Alumni Generation 2022 on the summer school Practicing Resilience. Preparing for Recovery in Dubrovnik which was held in Dubrovnik from June 26 to July 8, 2022, at Monastery of the Sisters Servants of Mercy.

Anastasia Kryshtofor, Ukrainian Catholic University, Alumni Generation 2022

My name is Nastia, and I am a 4-year student in the Sociology program at Ukrainian catholic university. Last summer, I had a chance to visit a great summer school in Dubrovnik, the topic of which was “Practicing resilience. Preparing for recovery”. And I would like to share my experience and express gratitude for the chance to participate in such a great project.

First, it was a great chance to gain new knowledge connected to different topics, which helped us develop our understanding and discover our feelings and experiences. The professors told us a lot about the psychological aspects of the war, which was relevant to us. Also, we worked on posttraumatic growth, vulnerability, and recovery. These topics helped us cope with our fear and insecurities, as our country is now facing massive aggression, and we need to stay strong and be ready for post-war recovery.

Besides exciting lectures, we also had practical workshops, where we shared our thoughts and emotions and communicated which professors and friends.

Now, I want to talk about what I liked the most – our evening gatherings and small travels. I will always remember our fun games, evening movies, and time on Lokrum island. During those two weeks, we’ve become close friends. Thank you, I’ve experienced happiness, hope, respect, joy, a lot of fun, and sometimes sadness, but all of these were special because you shared them with me.

Summer School in Dubrovnik was not only a place where I learned a lot but only a place where I felt inner power and love. It was a powerful community where our experience was heard, and we felt enormous support. Thank you, and waiting for us all to meet again!

Borna Ščuric, Catholic University of Croatia, Alumni Generation 2022

Summer school was a novel and wonderful experience for me. Thanks to this school I have met many interesting people and established new friendships which have at the same time helped me grow as a person.

We went through some heavy moments, but we had just as many joyful and happy moments, if not more. Thanks to the experiences we mutually shared through our work and discussions I think it’s fair to say we forged bonds that will last a lifetime and beyond. The program itself was a fine blend of education and relaxation, which helped build this amazing relaxing atmosphere and help in our creative assignments.

For those two weeks, Dubrovnik really felt like an oasis separate from the rest of the world, just something for us to enjoy and partake in. I was kind of caught off-guard by the cultural engagement I had with other Christian denominations, which I appreciated more as time went on. Lastly, I believe our Ukrainian guests really found some respite from the crisis they are facing every day and find strength in the experiences they had for those two weeks.

Izabela Rajić, Catholic University of Croatia, Alumni Generation 2022

I have decided to enroll in summer school out of curiosity and now, when I look back, I will cherish those two weeks forever, really. We were hosted in a beautiful city Dubrovnik by the warmest Sisters and workers in the student dormitory „Paola Di Rosa“.

The lectures were effective and intensive, and after each lecture, I felt a little bit of growth in myself and my colleagues.

Everything that wasn’t discussed in lectures, was covered in workshops in the afternoon. At the end of the day, we would play games or quiz, or watch a movie – everything being connected to learning and expanding our viewpoint of „resilience“. Meeting students from Ukraine to Poland, gave me more confidence in public speaking while using another language, and we still keep in touch.

We have also visited the island of Lokrum, mountain Srđ, and city walls. But my favorite memories are those when after a whole day we would get together and go to the Old Town where we hang out by the sea – talking, (sometimes even singing and dancing!), and sharing. For those two weeks, we were at each other – home.

Katarina Živčić, Catholic University of Croatia, Alumni Generation 2022

For me, it was a great pleasure to spend those lovely 2 weeks in Dubrovnik participating in summer school. I am beyond grateful for the opportunity of living in Dubrovnik for two weeks. Being able to go to the city walls and mountain Srđ was incredible, not to mention the fascinating island of Lokrum. But most of all, I am thankful for the people that were there with us. Most of us connected the very first day and stayed in contact ever since. Being a little brave and applying without knowing anybody was absolutely worth it.

The lectures were very interesting and useful and opened many points of view. Some thoughts are forever locked in my mind. When it comes to resilience, many of us think about something abstract and complicated but throughout these two weeks of lectures, I realized that resilience can be found in very small and simple examples. The same goes for vulnerability. It is probably the key fact about people to be remembered; everyone can be vulnerable and resilient, and it is different from person to person and from situation to situation. That is what makes it so special, it is not determined.

There is one thing about Summer School I must add. It is the laughs. I cannot remember when the last time that I smiled as much as I smiled for those two weeks. Joy is the biggest highlight of those two weeks that I will cherish in my heart when thinking of Dubrovnik.

Archive

 

Dubrovnik 2025

The summer school “Practicing Resilience – Preparing for Recovery” took place in Dubrovnik, Croatia, from July 10 to July 20, 2025. 

The program has been organized by the Catholic University of Croatia in strong partnership with the Nanovic Institute at the University of Notre Dame (USA), the Ukrainian Catholic University (Ukraine), and the Catholic Universities Partnership. 

The fourth edition of the summer school has brought together professors and distinguished lecturers from numerous Catholic universities, building on the success of previous years. The program has continued its mission of empowering students and preparing them for resilience and recovery, with the participation of 40 students from Catholic universities worldwide, including at least 20 students from Ukraine.

Summer School's alumni and professors photos can be found at the LINK.

Šibenik 2024

Alumni generation 2024

Šibenik 2023

Here you can find Alumni Generation 2023 on the summer school Practicing Resilience – Preparing for Recovery which was held in Šibenik from June 30 to July 9, 2023, at at the Catholic Primary School in Šibenik, Croatia.

Memory book:

Program booklet:

Alumni generation 2023

Gallery

Accommodation

Contact

In case of any additional questions, you can contact us: cup.summer.school@unicath.hr.