Since 2016, a yearly summer school takes place at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. It aims at preparing Chinese Bachelor students, who are on the brink of their final degree and show interest for the ZDS Master course, for the language requirements of the program. The focus of the summer school which is aimed at up to 20 participants is therefore on the language acquisition. But part of the program are also scholarly lectures and excursions within Berlin.

ZDS summer schools have already been held In the past, but with Chinese and German participants and a subject-orientated, comparative focus.

The first one, entitled "Metropoles in the Global Age. Beijing and Berlin in Comparison," took place from August 13 until 25,  2012, at Humboldt-Universität.

The second one, entitled "The Process of Modernization. Civilisation in East and West," was held from August 17 until 31, 2014, at Peking University.