Our History:
The Scottish Universities’ International Summer School (SUISS) is one of Britain’s oldest and most distinguished summer programmes. Established in 1947 by Professor David Daiches, SUISS brings together students and scholars from around the world who, regardless of nationality, faith, culture, or gender, share a passion for literature and the arts. The programme embodies the inclusive spirit of the Edinburgh International Festival and the British Council—both founded in the same year.
SUISS is proudly affiliated with seven leading institutions: the University of Aberdeen, the University of Dundee, the University of Edinburgh, the University of Glasgow, the Open University in Scotland, the University of St Andrews, and the University of Strathclyde.
Our Courses:
Each summer, SUISS offers three Text and Context courses on British and Irish Literature from 1900 to the Present, alongside one course in Creative Writing and one in Contemporary British and Irish Theatre and Performance.
The Text and Context programme includes courses in Modernism, Contemporary Literature, and Scottish Literature. These provide a comprehensive, interdisciplinary exploration of British and Irish writing in relation to key social and cultural developments of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Over more than a century of literary innovation, students engage with the dynamic and diverse traditions of English, Irish, and Scottish texts, examined alongside developments in modern literary theory.
The Creative Writing programme is among the most vibrant and varied in the UK. This four-week course offers emerging writers an encouraging and collaborative environment to develop their craft across fiction, poetry, drama, and non-fiction. Participants also enjoy exclusive author-led masterclasses and readings by acclaimed writers.
The Contemporary British and Irish Theatre and Performance programme offers an immersive two-week course on the theory and practice of drama in the modern era. Students gain an in-depth, hands-on introduction to the vibrant landscape of contemporary theatre—timed to coincide with both the Edinburgh International Festival and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The experience is further enriched through workshops delivered by Playwrights’ Studio Scotland, the country’s leading organisation dedicated to supporting playwrights.
View our summer school Brochure and Sample Daily Programme for details of academic events, lectures and cultural activities.
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Our Partner Universities
