Summer school "Governing Climate Risk"

"Governing Climate Risk: Research, Methods, and Action" is an intensive Circle U. doctoral summer school bringing together PhD researchers from across Europe to explore how climate risks are understood, assessed, researched, and acted upon in different disciplines and national contexts. The programme will be delivered in a blended format: five days of online sessions will be followed by a week on site in Berlin.

Grounded in the European Environment Agency's European Climate Risk Assessment – which identifies cascading risks across ecosystems, food, health, infrastructure and finance – the programme equips you with the analytical tools and pedagogical skills needed to communicate climate risk clearly and to support decision-making in complex settings. Through workshops and methods training, you will learn to work with diverse forms of climate data, examine governance challenges, advance your own research projects, while also translating technical thinking into accessible teaching for undergraduate learners.

This is your opportunity to work collaboratively across countries and disciplines, and develop shared responses to the cross-border risks highlighted in European climate assessments. By the end of the school, you will have strengthened your teaching practice, deepened your methodological competence, expanded interdisciplinary networks, and built the confidence to engage students and wider audiences in meaningful climate conversations.

The programme will start with five days of online sessions (6, 8, 10, 13, 15 July), followed by a week of in-person classes and activities (3 – 7 August) in Berlin. All components of this summer school will be taught in English. Please note that participation is mandatory both during the online and in-situ phase.

Download the full programme (PDF)

Applications are accepted through the MoveOn portal until 23:59 CET on 28 February. Please register here and enter the required information. Along with the application form, please submit your CV and motivation letter (both in English), your Transcript of Records, as well as proof of enrolment at one of the Circle U. universities.*

By 4 May, all applicants will be notified by email about the results of the selection procedure.** If you have any questions regarding the application process, feel free to contact us by email. 

Participants are expected to actively contribute to the discussions and share their work in group presentations as well as design a lesson for undergraduate students and co-teach this session with fellow participants, to receive accreditation.

Their contributions are assessed on a pass/fail basis and successful participants will receive a Certificate of Completion issued by Circle U. In addition, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin will provide a Transcript of Records (5 ECTS). Please consult your local examination office regarding course recognition in your study programme.

The summer school is free of charge. To find out about potential funding opportunities for travel and accommodation, please reach out to your international/Erasmus office at your home institution:

• Aarhus University: aarhus@circle-u.eu
• University of Belgrade: Nikola Savic nikola.savic@rect.bg.ac.rs
• Humboldt Universität zu Berlin: berlin@circle-u.eu
• King’s College London: Students are not eligible for Erasmus+ funding, but may have access to internal funding. Please check for funding opportunities or contact the Circle U. Team for more information: circle-u@kcl.ac.uk
• UCLouvain: infocircleu@uclouvain.be
• Université Paris Cité: circleu.iro@u-paris.fr and online at u-paris.fr
• University of Pisa: circleU.erasmus@unipi.it and on our website.
• University of Vienna: circle-u@univie.ac.at

* Only students from Circle U. Universities may apply for this summer school. Circle U. includes Aarhus Universitet, Univerzitet o Beogradu, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Universitetet i Oslo, Universität Wien, Università di Pisa, King’s College London, Université Paris Cité and Université catholique de Louvain.

** Please note that for the purpose of selecting summer school participants we intend to disclose your personal data (name, semester, letter of motivation, grade point average) to our Circle U. partner universities (Aarhus Universitet, Univerzitet u Beogradu, King’s College London, Université catholique de Louvain, Universitetet i Oslo, Université Paris Cité, Universität Wien, Università di Pisa).