Frequently Asked Questions

Why choose us

The CUNJC Cambridge Summer School stands out because it is an official programme of a University of Cambridge Centre, not a standalone or third-party summer school. It is designed and delivered by award-winning Cambridge academics, with teaching rooted in evidence-based methods and real research practice. The programme combines rigorous academic training, hands-on work with real data, and team-based projects, ensuring you leave with portfolio-ready outcomes, not just lectures attended. Teaching and accommodation are based at Selwyn College, giving you a full collegiate Cambridge experience, while professional development—including keynote lectures, leadership coaching, postgraduate admissions workshops, and structured networking with academics and industry leaders—supports your academic and career goals. Together, this makes the programme academically credible, highly applied, and strongly outcome-focused, setting it apart from typical summer schools.

About the programme

The Cambridge University–Nanjing Centre of Technology and Innovation (CUNJC) is the official University of Cambridge platform for collaboration in China, jointly established and supported by the University of Cambridge and the Nanjing Municipal Government. CUNJC focuses on research, innovation, technology transfer, training, and talent development, and supports international academic exchange between Cambridge and global partners.

The CUNJC Cambridge Summer School is an official programme of a University of Cambridge Centre, designed and delivered by award-winning Cambridge academics and hosted at Selwyn College, University of Cambridge. Unlike many college-based summer schools, this programme is run by a university centre, ensuring academic oversight, institutional recognition, and direct involvement from Cambridge faculty and admissions leaders.

The programme focuses on applied quantitative and analytical training across Data Science & AI and Economics & Finance. Our academic offering includes twelve courses: Mathematical Methods, Statistical Methods, Causal Data Science, Econometrics, Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence, alongside Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, Network Economics, Complexity Economics, Quantitative Finance and Financial Markets.

The programme is aimed at ambitious undergraduate and early postgraduate students, as well as applicants from related professional backgrounds, who want to build strong quantitative and analytical skills in applied data, economics and finance. We welcome applicants from Economics, Business, Finance, Econometrics, Data Science, Machine Learning, AI, Applied Mathematics, Statistics, Engineering, Computer Science and related fields.

You will master applied quantitative tools in Python and R, complete a portfolio-ready team project, receive a Certificate of Achievement and may request recommendation letters for postgraduate applications if you perform strongly. You will also build a global network of peers, academic mentors and industry contacts, plus gain admissions and career insights from our professional development programme.

Each two-week course is designed to be equivalent to a full-term Cambridge undergraduate course and is typically comparable to 3–4 US credits or 7.5 ECTS. Formal credit is not awarded by CUNJC; recognition and transfer are subject to approval by your home institution, but we provide detailed documentation to support this.

Entry requirements

We recommend a minimum GPA of 3.2 / B+ (or equivalent) and some prior exposure to quantitative methods at university level. Courses are designed for students with academic interests in quantitative fields such as economics, business, finance, econometrics, data science, AI, mathematics, statistics, engineering and computer science.

Application process

You will normally need to submit:
- The online application form
- Your university/college transcript (if available)
- An English-language certificate (if applicable)
- Additional documents may be requested at our discretion

Fees & payment

	Student rate*	Standard rate
One session, single room	£5,500	£6,875
One session, twin room	£4,900	£6,125
Two sessions, single room	£9,900	£12,375
Two sessions, twin room	£8,820	£11,025

* Student rate applies to all full-time students who are currently enrolled at a University or College anywhere in the world.

Academic programme

We offer a total of twelve courses across two streams as part of our Academic Programme. Data Science & AI stream courses: Mathematical Methods, Statistical Methods, Causal Data Science, Econometrics, Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence. Economics & Finance stream courses: Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, Network Economics, Complexity Economics, Quantitative Finance and Financial Markets. All courses connect theory with practice, using real datasets and modern tools.

Each two-week course has around 60 contact hours across two weeks: 15 hours of lectures, 15 hours of classes and 30 hours of guided and independent project work. A typical day includes a 1.5-hour lecture, a 1.5-hour class and two 1.5-hour project blocks (one supervised, one independent). The content delivery within each of the two weeks is organised as self-contained five-day long modules, which culminate in short presentations of project work on the Saturday morning.

Teaching is delivered by award-winning academics from the University of Cambridge, including members of the Faculty of Economics and fellows of Cambridge colleges. Many hold multiple teaching prizes and have extensive experience across Mathematics, Statistics, Econometrics, Data Science, Machine Learning, Microeconomics and Macroeconomics.

You will move from lectures and demos to hands-on practice in Python and R, working with real datasets. The daily cycle is Learn → Practise → Apply → Connect: learn a core idea, see a live coding demo, practise on real data with coaching and then apply the method in your team Hackathon project.

Hackathon projects

Hackathon Projects are intensive, team-based projects where you apply the tools and methods taught in your lectures and classes to real data and real questions. Each day, concepts introduced in lectures and practised in small-group classes are carried directly into project work, where you collaborate in mentored teams to design, code, analyse and present a solution. Guided by instructors and teaching assistants, you follow a structured, research-style workflow, moving from problem formulation and data analysis to interpretation and presentation.

Projects are completed in small teams of up to five students, reflecting how real academic research and professional work are done. You’ll collaborate to plan the approach, divide roles, analyse data, code solutions and prepare presentations, with regular guidance from instructors. Team projects help you develop leadership, collaboration and communication skills alongside technical ability, while learning how to work effectively with peers from diverse academic and cultural backgrounds.

You will present your work at a final project showcase on the Saturday morning of each week. You will leave with a portfolio-ready project that demonstrates your technical skills and ability to apply them in new settings. The project also highlights your leadership, teamwork and communication skills—making it ideal to discuss in interviews or include in applications to employers and graduate schools.

Professional development

You’ll get insider advice from Cambridge academics and admissions committee members on how applications are assessed, which selection criteria matter most, and how to position your goals for top master’s or PhD programmes. You’ll also have dedicated time to ask questions and get personalised guidance on your own prospective application and next steps.

Accommodation

The CUNJC Summer School is hosted at Selwyn College, one of the constituent colleges of the University of Cambridge. Students are offered single or twin (shared between two students) en-suite rooms, with access to the same college facilities and welcoming community as full-time Cambridge students.

Social programme

The Social Programme includes a welcome event, a guided walking tour of Cambridge and its colleges, punting on the River Cam, two drinks receptions and formal dinners with speakers, a day trip to London, and a closing garden party / graduation ceremony at Selwyn College. These activities help you explore the city, experience college traditions and build friendships that last beyond the summer.

A standard weekday includes breakfast in college, your lectures and classes, supervised and independent project work, and an evening talk or event on some days (keynote lecture, careers talk, leadership or admissions session). You will also have free time to relax in college, explore Cambridge or work on your project with your team.

Visas & support

Yes. The CUNJC Summer School team offers support and documentation to help with your visa application and can advise on the process from the programme’s perspective (though we cannot provide immigration advice). We are committed to supporting you with coursework, university life, social activities and visa-related queries so that you can make the most of your time in Cambridge.

Ready to join us?

Secure your place at the CUNJC Cambridge Summer School 2026.

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