Leveraging Ecological Economics to advance the Sustainability Transition ~ UNIPI

Language: English

Period: 6 – 11 July 2026

Application deadline: 31 March 2026

Early Bird Application Deadline: 28 February 2026 (for those applicants interested in a financial support)

Program Intensity: Full-Time

ECTS: 3

Tuition fees: 500€

The twentieth century saw enormous leaps and bounds in addressing various challenges pertaining to human development – e.g. rapid economic growth, the recognition of climate risks, poverty alleviation, better healthcare for many, addressing racial, gender, and religious inequities, etc. Such trends call for a deep understanding of the interlinkages among social, economic, and environmental challenges to provide policy advice for a legitimate, fair, and evidence-informed transition towards sustainability.

Ecological Economics, with its core emphasis on interdisciplinarity and incommensurability, provides a valuable conceptual framework for exploring the needed transitions towards sustainability.

Please visit the dedicated website for the full description of the contents and the organizational details.

The Summer School will be activated with at least 20 students. The maximum number of participants is set to 50 students.

The Summer School will be held on campus, in Pisa, at Centro Congressi Le Benedettine, Piazza San Paolo a Ripa D’Arno, 16.

Aim

Upon completion of the summer school, students will understand the founding epistemological and analytical tools of ecological economics, which will be used to explore current sustainability challenges and the recent concepts of post growth/degrowth.

Students will be able to formulate their own informed perspective on sustainable development, and develop realistic policies/strategies for the transition towards sustainable development.

Who can apply

The program targets PhD students.

However, Master’s student and last year Bachelor’s studetns could also be eligible, depending on their background.

Application

Admission Requirements

Background in the fields of Ecological Economics, Sustainability, Natural Sciences, and Science and Technology studies.
A statement of purposes from the applicant is mandatory to the evaluation for admission. it must explain why the candidate is interested in the fields of Ecological Economics and Sustainability, and describe their relevant background.
Evidence of B2 (or higher) level of English procifiency is highly recommended.

Required documents:

Identity Document (PASSPORT in case you are a foreign student)
Enrolment Form
Curriculum Vitae
Statement of purposes
Certification of B2 (or higher) level of English (not mandatory, but highly recommended)

All the documents must be in pdf format, in order to upload them on the portal when required.

Application has to be submitted via Alice portal following the instructions of the “How to apply” page.

Important info and deadlines:

28 February 2026: early bird application deadline for those interested in financial support.
10 March 2026: notification of admission. A form for asking financial support will be sent to the admitted applicants.
27 March 2026: notification of financial support.
31 March 2026: general application deadline.
10 April 2026: notification of admission to those who applied in March 2026.
01 April 2026: admitted student can pay the tuition fees and book the accommodation. NOTICE: please do not pay before 1 April 2026!
21 April 2026: deadline for the tuition fee payment. After payment, accepted applicants will become registered students.

Fees

Tuition fees: 500€

Pay fees by Debit/Credit Card or PayPal online using the following Payment Form.

Important notice: the payment form will be available from 1 April 2026.

Notice:

International students without Italian Tax Code: please tick the box ‘Anonymous’ in order to disable the field ‘Italian personal ID/VAT number’.
Please type your NAME and SURNAME next to the pre-filled text of the field ‘Reason’.
Please pay only after receiving the admission letter.

Refund policy and cancellation fee:

By 31 May 2026 participants may withdraw without providing any reasons.
From 1 to 30 June 2026 cancellations will be possible only in cases of serious and certified problems (e.g. medical issues). In all other cases, no reimbursement is due.
From 1 July 2026 (included) fees are non-refundable.

A 30€ cancellation fee will always be applied to the reimbursement of registered students who request to cancel their registration.

Fundings

Students interested in a financial support are invited to the apply within 28 February 2026 (early bird application deadline).
By 10 March 2026 the admitted students will receive a form to ask for the financial support.
On 27 March 2026 the eligible students will receive a notification of the received financial support.

Contacts

Coordinator
Prof. Tommaso Luzzati tommaso.luzzati@unipi.it

Website https://ecologicaleconomicstuscany.ec.unipi.it/summer-schools/summer-school-2026/

Summer/Winter School Office support.summerschool@unipi.it

Didattica

Campus e Servizi

Ricerca

Innovazione

Università e Società

Ateneo

News

Leveraging Ecological Economics to advance the Sustainability Transition

Contacts