SuRe - Sustainable and Resilient societies

This school is aimed at:

• excellent REMA students

• Postgraduate students: PhD – post doc students

• Other external stakeholders: national and local policy-makers

It is expected that the participants have a sufficient command of the English language to actively participate in the discussions and to present their own work in English.

Didactical Approach

This research oriented Summer School is designed to foster joint learning and interdisciplinary exploration. It combines short introductory lectures, individual practice assignments and group work. Participants jointly work towards a report that synthesizes the insights generated during the Summer School.

Four Interrelated Modules 

• The theory module, presented during the first day of the Summer School, introduces and illustrates the application of core concepts like polycrises, social resilience, sustainability, and social mechanisms. During this module, particular attention will be paid to analyzing how the dynamic interplay between societal, collective level phenomena (e.g. institutional arrangements, inequality, cohesion) and individual level phenomena (e.g. goals, needs, identities) affects societal resilience and sustainability.

• The crises module provides introductions into three types of societal challenges and their interrelations: demographic, socio-economic, and environmental crises. Three interactive morning lectures provide an overview over the state-of-the art of resilience research on into each domain. 

• The application module applies the theoretical framework, in particular social mechanism reasoning, to the analysis of crises and their interrelation. During three afternoon sessions, participants will work in groups to practice how social mechanism explanations can be brought to fruition to better understand the causes, dynamics, and consequences of specific crises, as well as the conditions favoring or impeding effective solutions.

• The synthesis module consists of integrating the knowledge and insights as they were generated during the Summer School. During the duration of the school, participants work towards a joint (online) white paper on Sustainability and Resilience in an Age of Polycrisis. The report contains social mechanism analyses of the three crises, their interplay, and the (effectiveness of) policies and interventions to mitigate them.
  

Group Work

At the beginning of the school, work groups of 3 participants will be formed, striving for diverse (disciplinary) backgrounds within each team. Each team will work on (different dimensions of or subproblems related to) each of the three crises. For this purpose they will use the theoretical framework developed during the first day to facilitate analytical listening during the morning lectures (i.e. evaluating the content as they listen, in the light of the framework), thereby facilitating structured dialogue with the domain experts. During the afternoon work group sessions, each team – supported by both the theory and the domain lecturers, and making use of their diverse disciplinary expertise – will then apply the social mechanism framework to analyze a specific dimension of the polycrisis. Each team will document their insights in the form of a short entry for the joint white paper. Shaping the “editorial process” to finalize the white paper will be part of the collaborative learning experience.

Day by day breakdown

Monday, June 23, 2025 (Day 1)

Introduction and Analytical Framework

Morning (09:00-12:30)

• Introduction

• Icebreaker

• Polycrises (lecture)

Afternoon (14:00-17:00) 

• Analytical Framework and Social Mechanism Reasoning (Interactive Lecture)

• Realistic Evaluation (Interactive Lecture)

Evening (19:00-)

• Welcome Drinks & Bites

Tuesday, June 24, 2025 (Day 2)

Crisis 1 

Morning (09:00-12:30)

• Introductory overview crisis 1 (Interactive Lecture)

Afternoon (14:00-17:00) 

• Applying the Framework

Wednesday, June 25, 2025 (Day 3)

Crisis 2 

Morning (09:00-12:30)

• Introductory overview crisis 2 (Interactive Lecture)

Afternoon (14:00-17:00) 

• Applying the Framework

Thursday, June 26, 2025 (Day 4)

Field Trip + Guest Lecture 

Morning & Early Afternoon (09:00-15:00)

• Field trip (tbd)

Afternoon (16:00-18:00)

• Guest lecture (tbd)

Friday, June 27, 2025 (Day 5)

Crisis 3 

Morning (09:00-12:30)

• Introductory overview crisis 3 (Interactive Lecture)

Afternoon (14:00-17:00) 

• Applying the Framework

Evening (19:00-)

• Social Dinner
  

Saturday, June 28, 2025 (Day 6)

Synthesis 

Morning (09:00-12:30)

• Short group presentations

• Review & Debriefing

Afternoon (14:00-17:00) 

• Departure

After this Summer School, participants will be able to:

• Understand and explain the principles of social mechanism reasoning as a tool for analyzing polycrises.

• Apply social mechanism reasoning to real-world case studies, identifying the key mechanisms driving resilience and vulnerability in demographic, socio-economic, and environmental crises.

• Analyze and compare competing social mechanism explanations for crisis dynamics, assessing their implications for policy and intervention design.

• Evaluate the role of behavioral microfoundations—such as cognitive biases, social norms, and emotional responses—in shaping resilience at individual, organizational, and societal levels.

• Design interdisciplinary research proposals or policy recommendations that integrate insights from sociology, history, demography, economics, and psychology to address interconnected crises.
  

Workload

• Preparation (including reading, ca. 200 pages; time spent on preparation depends on the participant’s background): max. 70 hours

• Contact hours (class and online activities): 25 hours

• Group projects: 17 hours

Upon successful completion of the programme, the Summer School offers a Certificate of Attendance that mentions the workload of 112 hours (28 hours corresponds to 1 ECTS). Students can apply for recognition of these credits to the relevant authorities in their home institutions, therefore the final decision on awarding credits is at the discretion of their home institutions. We will be happy to provide any necessary information that might be requested in addition to the certificate of attendance.

Kees Boersma is a Professor of Innovations in Crisis Management and Societal Resilience at VU University Amsterdam, The Netherlands. His research explores the governance of crises and disasters, focusing on societal resilience, technological innovation, and organizational change. Boersma’s work addresses global challenges such as climate change and humanitarian crises, examining how social systems adapt to disruptions. He is a co-founder of the Crisis Resilience Academy and has conducted research across various regions, including Nepal, the Philippines, and South Africa. His expertise in crisis management and resilience strategies informs policy and disaster response initiatives worldwide.

Domenico Cecere is an Associate Professor of Early Modern History at the University of Naples Federico II, Italy. His research focuses on popular politics, social conflicts, and disaster responses in the early modern Mediterranean, particularly in the Spanish Empire. Cecere has coordinated the DisComPoSE research group, which explores the relationship between disasters, communication, and politics in Southwestern Europe. His work examines how societies have historically responded to crises, providing valuable insights for contemporary disaster management. Cecere’s publications on disaster narratives emphasize the role of communication and collective action in shaping social resilience.

Enrica Chiappero Martinetti is a Professor of Economic Policy and Head of the Department of Political and Social Sciences at the University of Pavia, Italy. Her research focuses on well-being, poverty, inequality, and social innovation, using the capability approach to assess human development and policy impact. She has led several European and international projects on gender empowerment, youth vulnerability, and social development. Chiappero Martinetti’s work integrates economic theory with social policy, providing insights into how policies can foster resilience and reduce inequality. She is Chief Editor of the Journal of Human Development and Capabilities and actively contributes to global sustainability research.

Francesca Giardini is an Associate Professor at the University of Groningen, The Netherlands. Her interdisciplinary research investigates the micro-foundations of social behavior, with a focus on social mechanisms such as gossip and reputation. Using agent-based modeling and lab experiments, she explores how individual cognition and social networks shape cooperative behavior and resilience in organizations and communities. Giardini is the director of the “Risk, Crises and Resilience” theme at the Rudolf Agricola School for Sustainable Development and has contributed significantly to research on risk communication, disaster resilience, and sustainable cooperation. Her work provides important insights into how social structures influence collective behavior and resilience, particularly in the face of crises.

Letizia Mencarini is a Professor of Demography at Bocconi University, Italy. Her research focuses on family demography, examining life-course transitions, fertility, and family dynamics, and their links to well-being, migration, and social policies. Mencarini’s work explores the impact of welfare states on demographic behavior, gender roles, and social inequalities. She is the National Focal Point for the 2024 Generations and Gender Survey and has authored numerous publications on demographic change and its policy implications. Her research offers valuable insights into the effects of family structure and demographic shifts on social resilience and public policy.

Rafael Wittek is a Professor of Sociology at the University of Groningen, The Netherlands. With a PhD in Behavioral and Social Sciences, his research spans cooperation science, social network analysis, and organization studies. Wittek leads two large-scale research programs on social cohesion (SOCION) and sustainable cooperation (SCOOP), exploring among others the role of social networks and institutions in enhancing cooperation and societal resilience in complex social environments. His work on humanitarian action investigates the link between institutional arrangements and the performance of humanitarian NGO’s. Wittek’s research bridges theoretical and applied sociology, making significant contributions to both the study of social dynamics and evidence-based solutions for societal challenges, particularly in the context of disasters and resilience.

A limited number of (partial) scholarships are available for travel, accommodation and tuition. In order to qualify for a scholarship, applicants need to mention in their motivation letter why they need extra financial support, and how attending the summer school has added value for their career and personal development. Coming from a low income country and background will be taken into account in the final decision.

To apply, kindly fill out the online application form. Please note that you will be asked to upload the following documents:

• Curriculum Vitae (max. 2 pages)

• Motivation letter, clearly stating why you want to join this summer school, what you will bring to the school and what you hope to learn (max. 1 page)
  

The deadline for application is 5 March 2025. Selected applicants will be informed by 15 March 2025.