Building on the success of this year’s ACU Commonwealth Summer School, preparations are now underway for our fifth Summer School, which will be held from 15-22 August 2015 across three of Canada's leading higher education institutions in Waterloo, Canada.

Every year, the Summer Schools bring together high quality students from every corner of the Commonwealth to discuss multidisciplinary issues of global importance. A key element of the week-long events is to provide an opportunity for students who may not have ever had the chance to leave their own regions to mix with their peers.

The topic of the 2015 edition is Big data and the digital divide. Through a series of workshops, group work, TED-style talks, and field-based learning, attending students will gain a better understanding of big data challenges and the inequality that persists as a result of inadequate access to data across the world.

‘Big data’ is an umbrella term referring to the large amounts of digital data which is constantly generated by the global population. Wider access to data, digital media and most importantly mobile phones, has had major impacts. However, increasingly, this has been used in an unexpected way by people whose needs and habits have been poorly understood until now, according to the World Economic Forum.

Today, big data is allowing more and more people in developing countries to have their voices heard, to communicate across communities and to reach beyond their national and regional boundaries. There is therefore a growing need to assess the impacts these developments have on the quality of life, access to education and opportunities for millions of people. If information is power, then what is to be said of the continuing inequality to accessing this information? And to what extent does the digital divide also create a social divide?  In line with its commitment to promote and support inter-university cooperation and the sharing of good practice, the ACU believes that the students of today, and leaders of tomorrow, should thoroughly comprehend the impact big data has locally, nationally and globally.

This years’ fourth Commonwealth Summer School reconfirmed the truly international and unifying character of ACU events, bringing together 36 students from 19 Commonwealth countries for a week of workshops, keynote lectures and field trips  to discuss one of the most pressing questions of our time: Can we feed a growing world? 

Applications for the next Summer School will open in January 2015. Please note that applications should be received by Friday 1 May 2015. Applications received after the closing date will not be considered. Successful applicants will be notified by (latest) end of June 2014.

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