Frontier research, advanced training and interdisciplinarity: the challenges of the future at the heart of the new Seasonal Schools at the Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies
An initiative integrated with the School's PhD programmes, designed to attract international PhD students in AI, sustainability, health, law and emerging technologies
Emerging topics, interdisciplinary approaches and a direct link to doctoral research: the Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies in Pisa presents its new Seasonal Schools, nine intensive advanced training courses, completely free of charge and held in person, with one priority objective: to attract and train doctoral students from all over the world.
The new Seasonal Schools are an integral part of the School's strategy for the internationalisation and innovation of doctoral training: each course is designed and coordinated by professors and researchers active in the Sant'Anna School's PhD programmes, and develops content, methods and lines of research that characterise the doctoral programmes. In this sense, the Seasonal Schools function as specialist modules linked to PhD programmes, capable of connecting different scientific communities and opening up opportunities for collaboration between doctoral students, visiting scholars and research groups.
For international participants, the Seasonal Schools represent a concrete opportunity to get in touch with the research ecosystem of the Sant'Anna School, learn about the topics on which the various PhD programmes are working and build scientific relationships.
What are the Seasonal Schools?
Seasonal Schools are training courses of excellence designed to bring research to life “inside” facilities and laboratories, creating opportunities for discussion between high-profile participants from Italy and abroad. The new catalogue is part of the 2025-2026 programme and is funded by PNRR resources through the MERITA project, a network that includes the Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, the Scuola Normale Superiore, Collegio Superiore dell'Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, Scuola Galileiana di Studi Superiori dell'Università di Padova and Scuola Superiore di Studi Avanzati - SSAS dell'Università di Roma.
The themes of the new Seasonal Schools
Taken together, the Seasonal Schools reflect the interdisciplinary nature of Sant'Anna's PhD programmes: from the design of digital infrastructures and emerging technologies to the applications of AI in healthcare and organisational contexts, to the governance of change through legal, ethical and policy tools, without forgetting the most advanced quantitative approaches for analysing economic phenomena and evaluating interventions and policies. The topics chosen reflect Sant'Anna School's commitment to research that not only generates innovation and impact, but also trains young people to work in complex professional and research contexts.
How to participate and when the Seasonal Schools take place
The new programme runs from late March to early June 2026; application deadlines vary depending on the course. All the latest information (programme, requirements, application procedures and any subsidies) is available on the official pages of the Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies Seasonal Schools.
The complete programme
PROIT – Programmable Internet
Coordinator: Luca Valcarenghi – PhD: Emerging Digital Technology
Period:23–27 March 2026 (Application deadline: 23 January 2026)
FFWD-Plants – Fast-forward genetics in plants
Coordinator: Matteo Dell'Acqua – PhD: Agriobiodiversity
Period: 13–17 April 2026 (Application deadline: 20 February 2026)
IA4AI in Health – Interdisciplinary Approaches for AI in Health
Coordinators: C.A. Avizzano, P. Ferragina, A. Giannoni, M. Vaineri – PhD: Health Science, Technology and Management
Period: 13–17 April 2026 (Application deadline: 28 February 2026)
ChAIn – AI in research, teaching and society
Coordinators: Milena Vaineri, Jasna Pocek – PhD: Management of Innovation, Sustainability and Healthcare
Period: 18–22 May 2026 (Application deadline: 20 March 2026)
EURISE – Europeanisation of Law: Research, Innovation and Scholarly Engagement
Coordinators: Edoardo Chiti, Giacomo Delledonne, Erica Palmerini – PhD: Law
Period: 18–22 May 2026 (Application deadline: 27 March 2026)
ANIMA – ANImatronics and Mechatronic Artificial organs
Coordinator: Marcello Calisti – PhD: Biorobotics
Period: 25–29 May 2026 (Application deadline: 20 March 2026)
ROBOPHIL – Robo-Philosophy: Dimensions of Co-Agency
Coordinators: Barbara Henry, Alberto Pirni – PhD: Human Rights
Period: 25–29 May 2026 (Application deadline: 27 March 2026)
CME – Causal Methods for Economics
Coordinators: Alessio Moneta, Laura Magazzini, Mario Martinoli – PhD: Economics
Period: 8–12 June 2026 (Application deadline: 8 April 2026)
SUSTAIN – Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems in the EU: Legal and policy perspective
Coordinator: Mariagrazia Alabrese – PhD: Human Rights
Period: 8–12 June 2026 (Application deadline: 10 April 2026)
