GDPR Leaders Summer Academy

Registration for the 2026 GDPR Leaders Summer Academy is now closed. This is a free educational program aimed at students and recent graduates interested in personal data protection, privacy, cybersecurity, and new technologies.

Academy participants will gain practical knowledge from experts at the Personal Data Protection Office and invited practitioners, and will learn about, among other things, the principles of applying the GDPR, risk analysis, procedures for handling personal data breaches, and the challenges associated with the development of new technologies.

The program will cover, among other things, the following topics:

• the role of the President of the Personal Data Protection Office as a supervisory authority and his responsibilities in the area of personal data protection;
• an attempt to define personal data and an overview of why it must be protected, as well as the benefits and risks associated with its use in new technologies;
• the structure of consent and the privacy notice;
• privacy in the world of new technologies, including how the internet and apps track users;
• classification and handling of incidents under the Act on the National Cybersecurity System;
• personal data breaches and their reporting in practice;
• mobile advertising under the GDPR-definition of roles, data flows, and obligations of participants;
• practical aspects of GDPR audits in companies-best practices and common pitfalls;
• Article 32 of the GDPR in practice: risk analysis as the basis for selecting security measures;
• procedural aspects of filing complaints and whistleblower reports;
• criminal law aspects of personal data protection;
• the fundamentals of personal data protection under the EU, Chinese, and Hong Kong legal systems;
• educational initiatives by the Personal Data Protection Office and international cooperation in the field of personal data protection education;
• "sharenting," deepfakes, and spoofing as challenges for modern legal systems in light of the development of new technologies.

The program will be conducted online in the form of weekly lectures and workshops, running from June 26 to September 7, 2026. Speakers will include representatives of the Personal Data Protection Office, attorneys, legal advisors, compliance experts, data protection practitioners, and individuals associated with organizations promoting the safe and informed use of technology.

On September 14, 2026, a closing meeting will be held at the headquarters of the Personal Data Protection Office at 1A Stanisława Moniuszki Street in Warsaw.

At the conclusion of the Academy, participants will receive certificates of completion for the GDPR Summer Leadership Academy, and outstanding students will have the opportunity to participate in an internship and a chance to secure employment at the Office.

We have specifically invited third- through fifth-year students majoring in law, public administration, international relations, and computer science, as well as graduates of these fields who completed their studies no more than three years ago, to participate in the project.

Because privacy leaders start at the Personal Data Protection Office.