Summer Schools | Employability | School of Engineering

You can choose to take part in a Student Mobility summer school at one of our partner universities to gain international experience, technical knowledge and cultural understanding.

These opportunities are usually offered as exchanges, meaning there is no additional tuition fee to pay at the partner institution. There may also be further opportunities in spring and winter.

While a summer school does not bear official credit towards your degree they provide a fantastic experience with elements of technical learning as well as cultural immersion. Upon successful completion you will also gain a University of Edinburgh Digital Badge to visually showcase your skills and achievements outside of your coursework.

Partner Institutions

Please see the table below for more information about our partner institutions and which opportunities are currently available, including eligibility criteria.

WHERE	WHEN	ELIGIBILITY	APPLICATION DEADLINE
BUILDERS École d'ingénieurs, Caen, France	1 month typically in June	Particularly relevant to Civil and Mechanical Engineering students in 3rd Year and above	22 February
Beijing University of Chemical Technology (BUCT) Beijing, China	2 weeks typically in July	Open to all Engineering students, most relevant to Chemical Engineering students	Not available in 2026
The British University in Dubai (BUiD), Dubai, UAE	1 week typically during the Easter holidays	Open to students aged 18 and over, with no prerequisite knowledge or experience but of relevance to those with an interest in sustainability.	Not available in 2026
Dalian University of Technology (DUT), Dalian, China	1-2 weeks typically in July/August	Not available to any final year students	22 February
Harbin Engineering University (HEU), Harbin, China	1 month typically in June	Electronics and Electrical, Electrical and Mechanical Engineering students aged 18 and over. Mechanical Engineers may also be considered	22 February
Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), Wuhan, China	2 week blocks between June and August	Not available to Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Structural & Fire Safety Engineering and Structural Engineering with Architecture students. Not available to final year students.	22 February
Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics (NUAA), Nanjing, China	1 month typically in June	Mechanical, Civil, and Electronics and Electrical Engineering students aged 18 and over. Not available to Chemical Engineering Students or ANY final year students.	22 February

The application process

Our opportunities are usually advertised at a launch event in January and applications will open through Mobility Online following the event. The spring school in BUiD is usually advertised in September via email and the Student Bulletin.

You will be required to submit a Personal Statement to outline your motivation for applying. Prior to travel you must attend a mandatory Risk Assessment session delivered by the School of Engineering and speak to a health care professional about your fitness to travel.

The University of Edinburgh will provide comprehensive travel insurance during your time away. However if you have a particular health condition or will be travelling beyond the dates of your chosen opportunity, we strongly recommend you take out additional personal travel insurance.

Money Matters

The School of Engineering is please to provide each student with £200 towards their first experience.

Widening Participation students are also strongly encouraged to apply for the Go Abroad Fund which provides additional funding for summer opportunities. Should you be unsuccessful in the Go Abroad Fund, the School of Engineering may be able to match the funding you would otherwise have received. You will not be eligible for this if you do not firstly apply for the Go Abroad Fund. If you are unsure if you are a Widening Participation student please get in touch with us.

Go Abroad Fund

The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) offers international travel awards upwards of £1,500 for its’ members. You will need to demonstrate how the summer school benefits you and your studies to be considered for the award. Only summer schools lasting one month will be considered.

IET Travel Awards

What do students say?

Read about other students’ experiences to find out if this is the right opportunity for you.

Summer School B logs

Participating in the summer school at Harbin Engineering University was a transformative experience. It provided a unique platform to explore intelligent engineering within a culturally immersive environment. I am excited to apply the knowledge and skills gained from this program in my future endeavours and encourage other students to seek similar opportunities to expand their horizons.

This experience exceeded my expectations — not only did I gain technical skills, but I also formed lasting friendships (both from the UK as well as internationally) and developed a new appreciation for China’s rich culture and forward-thinking mindset. If you get the chance to join a summer school like this, take it!

I applied to the programme with the intention of extending my civil engineering knowledge. As part of the workshop, I focused on Sustainable Building Engineering. We attended a series of lectures and worked on a project that gave us the opportunity to apply our knowledge to tackling a real-life challenge.

Contact us

School of Engineering Student Mobility Team

engsumsc@ed.ac.uk

Francesca Coates – Recruitment and Partnerships Manager

Jane Macleod - Placement and Summer Schools Advisor

This article was published on 2026-02-05