The UvA Summer Ambassador scheme is run by the Summer Programmes Office of the University of Amsterdam. It gives students who are already enrolled at the UvA a free place on one of the university’s summer programmes.
In return, ambassadors work alongside the office while the course runs. They welcome international participants, support the academic opening, help host guest lecturers, lead course excursions, and act as the contact point between students and the office.
Fourteen university-level summer programmes qualified in the 2026 edition, covering subjects from space law and urban studies to creative writing, sexuality studies and mental health. An ambassador chooses the programme they want to study and applies through its normal admissions route.
Benefits & funding
- Full tuition-reduction scholarship for one qualifying UvA summer programme, so the course is attended free of charge.
- Tuition otherwise costs €1,750 for students and €2,000 for professionals on the three-week Space Law programme, which is one of the qualifying courses.
- The programme carries European Credits — 6 EC on the three-week Space Law course.
- Working experience with the Summer Programmes Office and mentoring from the UvA team.
- Contact with participants from across the world during the programme.
- Travel, housing (€900 for a private room on the Space Law programme) and the €25 application fee are not covered.
Eligibility
- Applicants must be a current student at the University of Amsterdam.
- Applicants must meet the admission requirements of the summer programme they apply to; most admit Bachelor’s and Master’s students and require academic-level English.
- Applicants must be comfortable in and knowledgeable about Amsterdam.
- Applicants must be motivated to study the subject of the chosen programme.
- Applicants must be available for about 10 hours of preparatory work in the month before the programme starts, full-time for its whole duration, and for a spring training day if selected.
- No nationality restriction — enrolment at the UvA is the gate.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
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Application process
- 1Pick one of the qualifying summer programmes listed on the ambassador page.
- 2Prepare that programme’s admission documents: a passport scan, transcript or degree certificate, CV, and a motivation letter of 400–500 words.
- 3Apply through the programme’s own online application system and pay the non-refundable €25 application fee. The document list and fee here follow the Space Law programme; each course sets its own procedure.
- 4State in the motivation letter that the application is also for the UvA Summer Ambassador role, with relevant experience and what the role would give the applicant.
- 5Email summer-info-gsss@uva.nl to confirm the ambassador application, with “UvA Student Ambassador” in the subject line and the programme name in the message.
- 6Wait for the admission decision and attend the spring training day if selected.
Program timeline
Early admission deadline on several summer programmes, including Space Law
Feb 1, 2026
Ambassador application deadline for the 2026 edition
Apr 5, 2026
Regular application deadline for the Space Law programme
Apr 6, 2026
Latest date for the Space Law admission decision
Apr 12, 2026
Training day for selected ambassadors
Spring 2026
Space Law programme runs, as an example of a qualifying course
Jul 19, 2026 to Aug 6, 2026