Venice Summer School on Inequality and Vulnerability

  • When: July 6th-11th, 2026
  • Where: San Giobbe Economics Campus - Cannaregio 873, Venice
  • Deadline for application: April 30th, 2026, 12.00 pm (CEST)

The Summer School

The School is jointly organised by the Department of Economics of Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Italy, and the Max Planck Institute for Behavioral Economics in Bonn, Germany.
It is going to take place on July 6th-9th, 2026 at San Giobbe Economics Campus (Ca’ Foscari University of Venice), and will be followed by a workshop on July 10th-11th, 2026.

The Summer School is designed for PhD students and early-career researchers interested in the topics of inequality and vulnerability; it offers an opportunity to build connections, learn from top scholars, and explore research in behavioral economics related to the topics of the School.

The summer school is organised within the framework of the VIVA- Venice Initiative on Vulnerability Analysis project, funded by the programme "Departments of Excellence 2023-2027".

Highlights
  • Lecturers: Ingvild Almås (University of Zurich), Johannes Haushofer (Cornell University), Valeria Maggian (Ca’ Foscari University of Venice), and Matthias Sutter (Max Planck Institute for Behavioral Economics, University of Cologne and University of Innsbruck).
  • Informal Discussions: Opportunities to connect, exchange ideas, and present and discuss one’s own research.
  • Tour through Venice and Social dinners: Exploring the city together, enjoying a welcome aperitif with all participants on July 6th, and concluding with the conference dinner on July 10th.
  • Workshop with international experts: Back to-back just after the Summer School, the workshop includes 12 speakers. Among others, in addition to the School lecturers: Nagore Iriberri, Caterina Calsamiglia, Matteo Galizzi, Paola Profeta, and Fabio Galeotti. Summer School participants are expected to stay for the workshop.
Key Dates

Application deadline: April 30th, 2026 - 12.00 pm (CEST)
Decision: May 15th, 2026
Registration: May 30th, 2026
Summer School: July 6th-9th, 2026
Workshop: July 10th-11th, 2026

Applications must be submitted by e-mail to progetto.viva@unive.it

For further information: progetto.viva@unive.it

Call for admission

The Summer School is open to a maximum of 25 participants. It is intended for PhD candidates, postdoctoral researchers, and early-career scholars with a background relevant to the themes of the School. Participants will be selected on the basis of their CV and motivation letter. 

A Certificate of Attendance will be provided at the end. 

Deadline for application is set on April 30th, 2026, at 12.00 pm (CEST).

Costs and Covered Expenses

There are no participation fees for the school. However, participants are responsible for covering their own travel and lodging expenses. The school will assist participants in arranging accommodation, with an expected cost of approximately € 75 per night for a single room. The organizers cover lunch from Monday to Saturday, a welcome aperitif on July 6th, and the joint workshop conference dinner.

In collaboration with

Max Planck Institute