Background

The ICO Open Graduate Spring School (OGSS 2025) is part of the educational PhD programme of ICO, the Interuniversity Centre for Educational Sciences in the Netherlands and Belgium. Established in 1988, ICO began as a collaboration between the universities of Twente and Groningen, aimed at providing advanced courses for PhD candidates in educational research. This successful partnership quickly expanded to include other Dutch and Flemish universities, and today, ICO proudly counts fourteen universities across the Netherlands and Belgium among its members. For more information about ICO, please visit the ICO website.

OGSS2025 is an international event for PhD candidates researching topics related to learning, instruction, and education. While the Spring School is a mandatory part of the ICO PhD curriculum, it is also open to non-ICO PhD students working within these fields.

PhD candidates attending the full programme will participate in two workshops, hear keynote speeches, and present their own research. There is also an option to attend only part of the OGSS 2025 programme: from Monday to Wednesday (Part A) or from Wednesday to Friday (Part B). Participants choosing either part will engage in one workshop, attend one keynote, and deliver a research presentation.

Full participation in OGSS 2025 awards 3 ECTS, while participation in either Part A or Part B awards 1.5 ECTS.