Two Decades of Building Internet Governance Capacity
In 2003, the UN Working Group on Internet Governance (WGIG) was created in part to answer a seemingly simple question raised by the first UN World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS): what is Internet governance? As WGIG members grappled with a definition, another question kept coming up alongside it: where could someone actually study these issues? The answer, at the time, was nowhere.
The European Summer School on Internet Governance (EuroSSIG) was founded in 2007 to close that gap — and this year, twenty years later, it has been named a WSIS Prize 2026 Nomination Award winner in the Capacity Building category, one of the projects recognized in that category by the ITU & WSIS Forum.
What EuroSSIG Does
Each year, EuroSSIG brings together students, and mid-career professionals from the government, business, civil society and the Internet technical community for a one-week substantive course on Internet governance — its political, legal, economic, socio-cultural, and technological dimensions, plus the management of critical Internet resources and the domain name market. Lectures are paired with Q&A, case presentations, breakout discussions, and a hands-on practicum, all wrapped in a social programme designed to build lasting connections between faculty and fellows.
A Legacy Bigger Than One School
Contrary to what the name suggests, EuroSSIG is a global program with fellows from all regions of the world and is held each year in Meissen, Germany. Its influence reaches well beyond its own alumni, many of whom now hold leading positions in Internet organizations, governments, business, civil society and international, national and regional bodies. The model it pioneered inspired the founding of many other programs including the South School on Internet Governance (SSIG) in Latin America and the African School on Internet Governance (AfriSIG)— both past WSIS Prize winners. EuroSSIG also led the creation of the Internet Goverance Forum (IGF) Dynamic Coalition on Schools of Internet Governance, a peer network connecting more than 30 Schools of Internet Governance around the world.
Why This Recognition Matters
The WSIS Nomination Prize process is competitive: thousands of applications across more than 15 categories tied to the WSIS Action Lines are narrowed by an expert committee down to a shortlist of nominees, from which winners are then elected. Being named a Nominee — and receiving the WSIS Prize Nomination Award certificate at the WSIS Forum in Geneva — puts EuroSSIG among a small group of projects worldwide recognized for capacity building in this area.We are proud to have received this award!
Help Us Build the Next Twenty Years
EuroSSIG has always operated with lean support: faculty donate their time, most participants cover their own travel, and sponsorships from Internet organizations and businesses fund places for fellows who could not otherwise attend. As we look forward, we are inviting:
• Organizations and companies to sponsor fellowships and help us keep the school accessible to talent everywhere
• Students, academics, and professionals to apply for a fellowship and join a vibrant Alumni community. Applications for next year’s EuroSSIG open in January 2027.
• Partners to help us to keep providing this opportunity to generations around the world by providing much appreciated financial support.
Read the interview with Wolfgang Kleinwächter on the occasion of the 20th Anniversary.