Summer School

The I.S.E.O. Summer School in Economics is one of the few summer courses in the world featuring Nobel Laureates among the panel of the speakers.

Every edition can count on several Nobel Laureates in Economics, together with some of the most well-known international economists.

The high specialized website Inomics has included the I.S.E.O. Summer School in the top ten list of the best Summer School in Economics in the world.

The summer course was born in 2004, following an idea of our founder Franco Modigliani, and with the important support of our chairman Robert Solow.

The I.S.E.O. Summer School takes place every June in Iseo, a lovely village located on the lake Iseo, in Northern Italy, not very far from Milan. In the summer of 2021, because of the pandemic, the course took place online for its first time ever. The 2022 edition was hybrid, both online and onsite and starting from 2023 the course went back to its original version, fully in presence.

The aim of the Summer School is that of gathering a large number of graduate and post graduate students (between 60 and 80 master or phd students, researchers, young professionals each year) coming from the most important international universities to improve their knowledge in economics. Since 2004, we gathered 1.345 participants, coming from 173 countries and 485 universities.

The I.S.E.O. Summer School lasts a whole week and it is made of a fair combination of lectures, debates and discussion on one hand, and trips and excursion into the most beautiful corners of Northern Italy on the other.

The location of the Summer School is the romantic four star Iseolago hotel: this is where  participants and speakers stay, and also where classes take place. The hotel is gifted with a lovely park, a swimming pool and a spa. All the participants of the Summer School have also the chance to get into a swimming-pool center withing the hotel area, where they can use sport facilities (tennis courts, volleyball and basket fields, kayak and many others) and get access to the lake.

The contents

The I.S.E.O. Summer School is generally focused on topical issues affecting international economics and macroeconomics, including growth patterns, inequalities, labour markets, trade, fiscal and monetary policy, sustainable economics, climate economics and digital technologies.
Conducted entirely in English, every edition has a specific title, strictly bond to topical issues and developments.

The structure of the course is based on a combination of lectures and debates: every class include a one hour lecture run by the Nobel Laureate or the key-speaker and then the remaining part, more or less a couple of hours, is dedicated to Q&A.

The relationship between the faculty and the participants of the Summer School not only takes place during classes but it lasts for the whole week, even during leisure time:  lecturers take part to trips, excursions and every other moment of the day organized by the Institute. They also have breakfast, lunch and dinner together with the students, chatting and discussing with them with great pleasure.

At the end of the course participants have the chance to attend a prestigious gala dinner, receiving their attendance certificate directly from one of the Nobel Laureates or the speakers. The ceremony is attended by the whole group of  students,  speakers, some representatives from the local institutions and also by the sponsors of the course.

Since 2010 the I.S.E.O. Summer School has offered the chance to a few participants to present their researches in front of the whole group of students  and in front of a Nobel Laureates or key-speaker. This is called “Iseo Summer School-Your lecture“.

In 2024, the I.S.E.O. Institute introduced a new initiative called “Poster Session“, during which all participants have the chance to present their researches. During the session, Summer School attendees and speakers can wander around to browse the posters.

How to apply, Fee and Scholarships

Potential candidates of the I.S.E.O. Summer School are:

• graduate and postgraduate students (Master and PhD) notably in Economics or Finance;
• researchers;
• teaching assistants;
• young professionals.

Criteria for admission to the Summer School are based on curriculum vitae and students preparation to participate in advanced studies on the subject.

Every year the I.S.E.O. Institute awards selected participants with a partial scholarship.

Information about application, fee & scholarship can be found consulting the web page dedicated to the upcoming edition of the Summer School: you can reach it by clicking on the year at the top of this page. Early application is highly encouraged since enrolment is limited.

On Photogallery and Videogallery you can  watch clips and pictures taken during previous editions of the I.S.E.O. Summer School.

For further info: summerschool@istiseo.org