Tag: Global South

2026 Ecological Economics Summer Schools and Conference

If you are a PhD student, postdoc/early-career scholar, or practitioner who is interested in sustainability, ecological economics, and macroeconomic transformations, please take a look at the following opportunities.

Where: Pisa, Italy

This summer school – now in its 5th year – is designed for PhD and post-doc students. In special cases, master’s and bachelor’s students may also be eligible. A maximum of 60 participants will be admitted.

The summer school is full-time and involves approximately 23 hours of class attendance and 52 hours of individual study. After completing the final exam, on Saturday 11 July, students will recieve 3 ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System).

FACULTY

  • Keynote lecture: Giulia Romano (Università di Pisa)
  • Mario Biggeri (University of Florence, ITA)
  • Leonardo Boncinelli (University of Florence, ITA)
  • David Cano (University of Pisa, ITA)
  • Simone D’Alessandro (University of Pisa, ITA)
  • Tiziano Distefano (University of Florence, ITA)
  • Elisa Giuliani, Vice-Rector for Sustainability and the 2030 Agenda – Università di Pisa
  • Ralph Hall, (Virginia Tech, USA)
  • Tommaso Luzzati, (University of Pisa, ITA)
  • Igor Matutinovic, Zagreb School of Economics and Management
  • Emilio Padilla Rosa, Universitat Autonoma Barcelona
  • J. Christopher Proctor, Bocconi University – Institute for European Policymaking
  • Marcela Villarreal, former Director of the Partnerships and UN Collaboration Division at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

Learn more and apply here.

When: September 7-9, 2026

Where: Florence, Italy

This summer school offers an intensive introduction to Ecological Macroeconomics, with a special focus on its relevance for the Global South. Participants will receive a solid grounding in the foundations of Ecological Economics and Post-Keynesian Macroeconomics, and will learn key modelling approaches used to analyse sustainability transitions in diverse socio-economic contexts.

The programme covers Input–Output analysis, Stock-Flow Consistent modelling, and System Dynamics, providing participants with the conceptual and technical tools needed to explore the interactions between economic structures, environmental constraints, and social outcomes. A core component of the school is hands-on training on how to build Integrated Assessment Models (IAMs) that incorporate biophysical limits, distributional dynamics, inequality, and policy scenarios.

Participants will work through practical modelling labs using Vensim and R, enabling them to implement dynamic models, run simulations, and analyse alternative development pathways. The school aims to equip a new generation of researchers—especially from and for the Global South—with state-of-the-art modelling skills to address climate, energy, and development challenges.

FACULTY

  • Tiziano Distefano (University of Florence, ITA)
  • Simone D’Alessandro (University of Pisa, ITA)
  • Guilherme Morlin (University of Pisa, ITA)
  • David An (University of Florence, ITA)
  • Vinicius Centeno (University of Florence, ITA)

Learn more and apply here.

When: September 10-12, 2026

Where: Florence, Italy

Ecological Macroeconomics is an emerging field at the intersection of macroeconomics, ecological economics, and complexity science. It develops modelling frameworks that embed economies within biophysical limits, explicitly address inequality and social justice, and explore de- and post-growth futures through scenario analysis rather than optimisation.

This inaugural international conference aims to bring together scholars, early-career researchers, students, and practitioners working on ecological macroeconomic theory and modelling, with a particular interest in applications to the Global South and policy design for a just transition.

Learn more and apply here.