ESH Summer School in Särö, Sweden – Great venue, excellent program, and friends for life!
The ESH Summer School 2025 took place from September 14 to 19 in the charming coastal town of Särö, just south of Gothenburg, Sweden.
The Swedish organizing committee rose to the challenge of building on the previous year’s outstanding event in Opio en Provence, France. While the traditional lectures by leading experts in hypertension remained central, feedback from 2024 participants highlighted a desire for more interactive group work and workshops.
To meet this, participants were divided into groups according to their main areas of interest, each guided by dedicated faculty members. Throughout the week, they worked actively on specific topics and presented their results under faculty supervision.
In keeping with the Summer School tradition, every participant also had the chance to strengthen their presentation skills by delivering a 10–15-minute talk, whether a clinical case, a clinical problem, or a research project—followed by an engaging Q&A session of similar length.
Of course, learning was only part of the experience. Social activities played a big role in creating bonds and friendships. The opening icebreaker featured a quiz with stations around the hotel, mixing medical questions with fun facts about Sweden, for example: what percentage of Sweden’s land area is covered with blueberry bushes? (Hint: more than you might guess!)
The week also included memorable excursions. At the invitation of AstraZeneca Sweden, participants visited the Gothenburg production facility to learn more about drug development from early to late stages. This was followed by a trip to the Gothenburg Art Museum and a lively dinner complete with traditional Swedish drinking songs.
Another highlight, testing the participants’ sea legs, was a boat trip through Gothenburg harbor, where they enjoyed a delicious seafood buffet, music, dancing, and plenty of laughter—a truly unforgettable evening.
We are confident that all 53 participants from 33 countries returned home with new insights into hypertension, new perspectives and ideas, renewed ambitions, and, most importantly, lifelong friendships.
See you all at the ESH 2026 Meeting in Gdansk, Poland!
Jana Brguljan & Mattias Brunström
On behalf of the local organizing committee:
Jonas Spaak, Thomas Kahan, Karin Radholm, Peter Nilsson, and Sara Bergstrand
