Spring School on Social XR designated for the first time as an ACM Seasonal School

ACM Europe Seasonal Schools are highly selective programs. They are designed to educate researchers on specialized topics over one to two weeks, engaging a focused group of students. Each year, the ACM Europe Council rigorously evaluates proposals based on their educational merit, organizational strength, and financial viability.

For the first time, the Spring School on Social XR, whose third edition was held in April, was recognized as an ACM Seasonal School. The Spring School is organized each year by the Distributed and Interactive Systems (DIS) group and TNO, with co‑sponsorship from ACM SIGMM. "Only high-quality events with clear academic value are chosen by the ACM Europe Council. ACM is one of the most important scientific organisations in computer science" states Professor Pablo Cesar, group leader of the DIS-group at CWI. "This recognition is a very important step: the Spring School on Social XR is becoming a recognized training event for the next generation of XR researchers."

The fourth edition of the Spring School on social XR will take place from April 20th to 23th 2026 at CWI in Amsterdam. More information will follow soon on the CWI-website and on the DIS-site.

About the Spring School on Social XR

Initiated in May 2022 with the “Human‑Centered Multimedia Systems” symposium and Prof. Pablo Cesar’s inaugural lecture “Human‑Centered Multimedia: Making Remote Togetherness Possible,” the Spring School on Social XR began as a single‑semester event included in the CWI’s research programme. Three editions later, it has grown into a well-established annual event.

Every spring the DIS group welcomes around 30 doctoral students at CWI, selected from strong applications coming from Europe, Canada and the United States. The school’s increasing international impact, the robust program and the growing interest in social XR have now been acknowledged by the ACM Europe Council, which included the Spring School on Social XR in its list of Seasonal Europe Schools for 2025.

Key features of the Spring School

The school brings together students and experts from technology, social sciences, and humanities, fostering cross-domain interaction on Social XR. A unique feature of the school is its Open Days, where selected keynotes are made publicly accessible both in person and via live streaming, ensuring broader engagement with the XR research community. In addition to theoretical and hands-on sessions, the school supports networking and discussions through dedicated events, including a poster presentation where participants can receive feedback from peers and experts in the field of Social XR.

More information

• Third edition of spring school on social XR
• Second edition of spring school on social XR
• CWI organizes the spring school on social XR