European Crystallography School

ECA is committed to promote continuous high-level education in crystallography. European Crystallography Schools (ECS) are the central component of ECA’s educational activities. These Schools are regular events hosted annually or biannually, each time in a different country. In 2014, the first European Crystallography School (ECS1) took place in Pavia. Each School offers basic training in crystallography; advanced subjects in crystallography may be included by the School organizer, who justifies the choice of subjects when applying for the School. Advanced subjects alternate between European Crystallography Schools to ensure coverage of all aspects of crystallography. Schools employ a truly international faculty of renowned teachers, thus helping aggregate future scientists, and serving as a seed for new European scientific networks. Organization of a School at the European level may allow or require funding from various sources including European initiatives, such as the Erasmus Intensive Program. In this way, students or young scientists from countries where crystallography is less developed will find excellent opportunities for their advanced education and for starting new contacts and collaborations. European Crystallography Schools are not expected to make financial profits.

In addition to European Crystallography Schools, ECA regularly provides financial support to local schools, workshops and conferences within the ECA region, including Europe, as well as Africa and the Middle East (typically at least 5000 Euros per annum overall as student bursaries). ECA maintains its strong commitment to provide regular support to these local initiatives.

Next ECS

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ECS-12: Structure-Based Drug Design: from Bench to Bedside, Oxford, Uk, 21-27 July 2027

ECS12

Five‑day school dedicated to structure‑based drug discovery, combining lectures with hands‑on, expert‑led tutorials.
Participants will gain practical experience and a working understanding of the full DMTA (Design–Make–Test–Analyse) workflow, with practical sessions and lectures covering the essentials of crystallography and fragment‑based drug discovery.

Hands‑on training includes

  • High‑throughput crystallography, experiment preparation and data dissemination
  • Data analysis workflows and best practices
  • Algorithmic follow‑up design and candidate selection
  • Digitised chemistry and affinity measurement techniques
  • Introduction to Design–Make–Test aspects of the DMTA pipeline
  • Lectures and expert tutorials on structure determination and ligand optimisation

For more details, and to register, follow this link.

Future ECSs

ECS13: Fundamental Crystallography: from Principles to Practice, Vienna, Austria, 5-9 June 2028

Past ECSs

 ECS-11 Stockholm (Sweden) 28 June – 4 July 2026

 ECS-10 Lake Ohrid (North Macedonia) 22-29 June 2025  ECS-9 Nancy (France) 24 – 30 June 2024

 
 ECS-8 Berlin (Germany) 19 – 23 June 2023  ECS-7 Lisbon (Portugal) 10 – 15 July 2022

 
 ECS-6 Budapest (Hungary) 4 – 10 July 2021  ECS-5 Stellenbosch (South-Africa) 8 – 14 July 2018
   
 ECS-4 Warsaw (Poland) 2 – 7 July 2017 ECS-3: Bol (Croatia) September 25 – October 2, 2016
 
ECS-2: Mieres (Asturias, Spain), 31st August – 5th September 2015 ECS-1: Pavia (Italy): 28th August – 6th September, 2014