During the months of July, August and September, as is customary every year, the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) runs a programme of summer studentships for initiation in astrophysics research, technological development, and science communication, which give a chance for young students and new graduates to train in these varied specialities, under the supervision of scientists and technologists at the Institute.

The Graduate Studies Division of the IAC has welcomed six students from different European universities Antón Baleato, Javier Carrón, Virginia Ciriano, Milagros Morcillo, Juan Carlos Trelles y Daniel Walo. These students will work on their summer activities in the framework of astrophysics research projects, under the tuition of IAC astrophysicists, overseen by the astrophysicist and Director of Graduate Studies, María Jesús Arévalo.

The students of technological development, tutored by engineers of the Scientific Instrumentation Division of the IAC will be initiated during the summer in activities related to the development of instruments related to Astrophysics. These students will get the chance to know at first hand, and to be trained in front-line technological projects associated with the Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) or the European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT). The six students in this division, under the coordination of its Director, the astrophysicist Begoña García-Lorenzo, are Paz Alonso, Cristian Estévez, Alberto Franco, María Murillo, Álvaro Pérez y Nicolás A. Soto.

Finally José Peña will be trained as a science journalist in the Science Communication and Culture Unit (UC3) of the IAC, supervised by the head of the department Carmen del Puerto.

In addition this summer there will be seven further students visiting the IAC: Samantha B. Brown, Alejandra Fresco, Guillaume Gaisné, Anik Halder, Pavel E. Mencera, Adeline P. A. Sinapayen y Monika Strangret, who have grants from their respective scientific home institutions to collaborate in research projects at the IAC.