Summer School "The EU transition towards sustainable food systems: legal and policy perspectives" a.y. 2024/2025

Partnership

Course description 

The Summer School “The EU transition towards sustainable food systems: legal and policy perspectives” will be held from 7 to 11 July 2025 at Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies (Pisa, Italy), for a total of 40 hours of training. 

The Summer School is co-organized with the Law Group of Wageningen University & Research (WUR) and it is part of a three-year Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence SUSTAIN “EU actions for Sustainable Farming and Food Systems”, EU Erasmus + Programme (Project: 101127247 — SUSTAIN — ERASMUS-JMO-2023-HEI-TCH-RSCH) coordinated by Professor Mariagrazia Alabrese. 

The course will provide participants with the knowledge and skills necessary to understand the EU legal and policy framework for building more equitable, sustainable, and climate-resilient agricultural and food systems. 

The entire program and the final assessment will be conducted in English. 

The course envisages the acknowledgement of 2 European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) for students who attend at least 80% of classes and pass the final learning test. Acquiring European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) is subject to passing the required test and complying with the attendance obligations set out in the program. 

Course target 

The Course is intended for students from different academic backgrounds, PhD candidates, young researchers and professionals working in agri-food sector and in the field of law, social sciences, agricultural engineering, economics and management, as well as officials working in national, international, and European institutions. 

The program is designed to account for the participants’ varied backgrounds and to provide them with valuable tools to thoroughly understand the issues arising from the European agri-food legal and policy context. 

Learning objectives 

The classes will consist of lectures, seminars, discussions, role-playing and simulation games. Case studies sessions and Q&A sessions will be planned to stimulate the exchanges between trainers and trainees, promoting the creation of a network among all the participants within an interdisciplinary environment. 

By the end of the Summer School, participants will be able to: 

• Develop an in-depth understanding of key policies and legislative instruments adopted by the European Union, with particular focus on post-Green Deal strategies and their impact on the agri-food supply chain; and understand the international commitments of the EU in terms of global transition to sustainable food systems.
• Acquire expertise in analysing and managing issues related to food security, environmental sustainability, and climate change mitigation and adaptation, with an emphasis on the integrated approach between law, economics, and the environment.
• Develop skills in interpreting and utilizing regulations such as the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), the Nature Restoration Law, and the One Health approach to propose innovative solutions to the challenges of agri-food sustainability. 

After three months following the end of the course, the Sant’Anna School will issue a certificate of attendance valid within the extent permitted by law, including details of the ECTS obtained. 

How to apply 

Applicants intending to apply for admission to the Summer School should follow this application procedure: 

1. registration by May 19th 2025, by signing up on APPLY NOW;
2. pre-enrolment after 19th May 2025 registered students will receive an e-mail containing the link for the pre-enrolment.
3. payment of the tuition fee, by following the instructions that applicants will receive after the pre-enrolment. 

Course fee

• 100,00 EUR for participants that are enrolled in undergraduate and master’s degree courses at the time of the application and maintain the student status for the entire duration of the summer school;
• 400,00 EUR for participants that are enrolled in a Ph.D. program at the time of the application and maintain the Ph.D. candidate status for the entire duration of the summer school;
• 500,00 EUR for professionals, academics and other participants.

Participants that intend to take advantage of the student/Ph.D/ICC reduced fee are required to attach to the online application the appropriate self-declaration available on this website page.

The enrolment fee includes attendance costs, teaching materials and lunch provided by the School's canteen on all five days of the course. 

Travel and accomodation in Pisa, during the course, are the responsibility of each participant.

Attendance certificate

Certificate of attendance will be issued with value to the extent permitted by law, and with the details of the ECTS obtained to the students who attended at least 80% of the entire training programme, and passed the final assessment tests and are up-to-date with the payment of the enrolment fee.