Summer School 2017

Held from the 17th till the 24th of June in Iseo (Northern Italy) at the 4star Iseolago hotel, the I.S.E.O Summer School 2017 gathered 65 participants coming from 22 different countries (from South Africa to Romania, Canada to Malaysia…) and 45 universities around the world. The prestigious course, at its 14th edition, was focused on the following macro-theme: “The global Economy: searching for a new equilibrium”. To enlighten the class of 2017 on the content of this topic, eight internationally acknowledged speakers were invited to hold lectures during the week. First of all, three Nobel Laureates: Jean Tirole (Toulouse School of Economics, Nobel for Economics 2014), Michael Spence (New York University, Nobel for Economics 2001) and Eric Maskin (Harvard University, Nobel for Economics 2007). With each Nobel laureate focusing their lecture on their special research field in economics, the Summer School fostered students’ knowledge in following topics: “Moral Reasoning, Markets and Organizations” with Jean Tirole, ” Is more growth the answer to economic and social inclusion, or the reverse?” by Michael Spence and “Why Inequality has been Rising” with Eric Maskin.

Among the prestigious group of speakers were also Michele Boldrin from Washington University in St.Louis with the topic “Economic Growth and Fluctuations: the Role of Innovations” and Dimitra Petropoulou from University of Surrey, who discussed the role of Firms and Trade in the Global Economy. Interesting lectures were also given by Daniel Gros, director of the CEPS (Centre for European policy studies), speaking about Europe’s role in the new global economy and Prof. Ulrich Volz from the SOAS, University of London, who examined Asia’s growth challenges in global economy.
Nationalities 2016

During the Summer School, participants had the chance to attend a public conference promoted by the I.S.E.O Institute at the University of Brescia. The 50th international conference in memory of Franco Modigliani was titled “Innovation and Intellectual property” and it featured Jean Tirole, Michele Boldrin and Jacques Darcy (European Investment Fund) as speakers.

In addition, during the week, three of the Summer School participants had a once in a life time opportunity: presenting their own research in “Your Lecture” sessions in front of the Nobel Laureates and the other Summer School participants. This year these presentations were given by Feodora Teti from Germany, Jiri Tresl from Czech Republic and Sheng Zhong from China.

Of course, the week was not just about the lectures and some of the best conversations were born on free time. Students could spend their time between the study sessions by the pool of the Iseolago hotel, exploring Iseo city by bike and having breakfast, lunch or dinner with the speakers, Nobel Laureates included. Following a tradition, students also got to see the historical cities of Venice and Brescia, amongst other free time activities, as well as attending a gala dinner in a Franciacorta winery, receiving an attendance certificate directly from the Nobel Laureate Jean Tirole. This unique atmosphere of work and leisure combined is what makes the I.S.E.O Summer School so special

To conclude, the Summer School of 2017, succeeding its previous editions, was an unforgettable experience. During the week, the participants did not only improve their knowledge in economics but created long-lasting memories and connections.