Rural areas are undergoing complex transition processes in which sustainability must be actively built. Small farms play a crucial role in these transformations, contributing to food systems, local economies, social cohesion and environmental stewardship.
This Social Innovation Bootcamp (SIB) - scheduled from June 27 to July 24 in Castelnuovo di Garfagnana (Lucca), at Fortezza Mont’Alfonso - explores how small farms can generate transformative solutions in rural areas through a place-based and challenge-oriented approach, with a specific focus on the Garfagnana valley, in Tuscany.
During the bootcamp month, students analyse the contribution of small farms to local prosperity, inclusive services, ecosystem management, short food chains, sustainable tourism and digital innovation. Through lectures and field-based activities, participants engage with policy and societal challenges shaping sustainable rural futures.
Learning outcomes
The Social Innovation Bootcamp aims to:
- Increase awareness and build competencies regarding the current role of rural areas in addressing societal challenges.
- Deepen understanding of food-related issues and innovative solutions in agriculture and rural contexts.
- Prepare students to design sustainable and transformative pathways capable of addressing medium- and long-term societal challenges and emerging consumer and societal demands.
- Provide students engaged with agricultural and rural studies an immersive experience on the Tuscan territory, which provides interesting world-wide known examples of diversified rural development.
Admission to the course
The course targets Master students, PhD students and Post Docs from interdisciplinary academic fields related to:
- Economics and Business
- Agricultural and Rural Studies
- Environmental Sciences
- Veterinary Studies.
It is particularly designed for students interested in Integrated Rural Development, with a focus on socio-economic and institutional dimensions of rural areas. Through a comparative EU and non-EU perspective, the course aims to train future professionals capable of addressing complex rural development challenges in diverse territorial contexts.
Submit your application by April 30. Application has to be submitted via Alice portal following the instructions of the “How to apply” page.
Workload and Assessment
The course awards 10 ECTS.
The bootcamp combines field-based activities over 20 full working days, along with preparatory work and background study, group work focused on analysis and the production of outputs, and individual work including reflection and the preparation of a final report.
Form of assessment:
- an intermediate group output;
- a final group output;
- an individual written report.
Participants will receive a grade.
Fundings:
For questions related to funding, ECTS recognition, mobility, please contact the Circle U. office at your home university:
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Aarhus University: aarhus@circle-u.eu
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University of Belgrade: Nikola Savić – nikola.savic@rect.bg.ac.rs
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Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin: berlin@circle-u.eu
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King’s College London: circle-u@kcl.ac.uk (Erasmus+ funding not available; internal funding may apply)
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UCLouvain: infocircleu@uclouvain.be
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University of Oslo: oslo@circle-u.eu
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Université Paris Cité: circleu.iro@u-paris.fr
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University of Pisa: circleU.erasmus@unipi.it
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University of Vienna: circle-u@univie.ac.at
Info about the course:
Francesco Di Iacovo (Department of Veterinary Sciences)
francesco.diiacovo@unipi.it;
Paola Scarpellini (Department of Agriculture, Food, and Environement)
paola.scarpellini@unipi.it;
Alessandra Meoni (Circle U. Office)
alessandra.meoni@unipi.
