The network organizes summer schools to support early-career researchers, including master’s students in their thesis phase, doctoral candidates, and early postdoctoral researchers. Participants have the opportunity to engage with leading experts, present their research, and collaborate with peers from diverse academic backgrounds.
Upcoming edition 2026
The Third Edition of the Summer School titled “Welfare states in sustainability transformation: work, inequalities, and eco-social policies?” brings together PhD candidates and early-stage researchers for an intensive and intellectually engaging programme on climate transitions, welfare states and the future of work.
It will be held in Brussels on 6-8 September 2026.
This year we focus on three themes:
- Tensions and transitions: we look at where ecological and social agendas collide, and where new alliances might emerge.
- Welfare in motion: we consider how welfare systems have been adapting and should adapt when planetary crises and policy responses create new inequalities, new risks and new demands for redistribution.
- Futures of work & democracy: we ask how labour markets, worker organisations and political voices are transformed when economies move toward sustainability.
These themes will run throughout the programme, framing collective reflection as well as the individual research contributions of participants.
We welcome applications from doctoral researchers and early-career academics working on eco-social issues broadly conceived, including climate policy, social policy, labour studies, and related fields.
The summer school admits a limited number of participants to ensure space for dialogue and individual feedback.
To apply, please submit a CV and a research abstract of no more than 500 words via a submission link that will be provided in January 2026.
Deadline for applications is Friday, 13 February 2026.
The Summer School will be followed by the First EcoWelfare Network Conference held at ULB from 9 to 11 September 2026.
Participants from the summer school are invited to stay in Brussels for the entire week and attend the conference even without presenting a paper.
Organising Team
Tom Bauler, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB, SONYA)
Amandine Crespy, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB, IEE)
Bianca Luna Fabris, European Trade Union Institute (ETUI)
Aurore Fransolet, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB, SONYA)
Tuuli Hirvilammi, Tampere University
Matteo Mandelli, Sciences Po Paris
Tiago Moreira Ramalho, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB, SONYA)
Sotiria Theodoropoulou, European Trade Union Institute (ETUI)
Katharina Zimmermann, University of Hamburg
Past editions
The Second Edition of the summer school has taken place on 7-13 September 2025.
The Summer School was titled “Social Policy and Ecological Sustainability”, it was held in cooperation with the German Institute for Interdisciplinary Social Policy (DIFIS), and took place at the University of Bremen.
The First Edition of the summer school was held at the University of Padova on 24-28 June 2024. The summer school was titled “The Ecosocial Challenge. Politics, Policy, Polity”.