Organized by Scuola Normale Superiore in
cooperation with National PhD Programme in Peace Studies,
coordinated by Sapienza Università di Roma and RUNIPACE,
Rete delle università italiane per la pace, the Summer
School is funded by the PNRR through the MERITA, the
network for talent project*.
Date: September 29 – October 3, 2025
Location: Scuola Normale Superiore, Palazzo
Strozzi, Firenze
Max participants: 50
Language: English
Application deadline: August 10, 2025
Target audience: Master’s/PhD students and
researchers; Practitioners from NGOs, international organizations,
and civil society groups; activists and policymakers. Priority is
given to Scuola Normale Superiore (SNS) students and participants
in Italy’s National PhD Programme in Peace Studies.
This interdisciplinary Summer School explores the causes of modern
armed conflicts and strategies for peacebuilding, conflict
prevention, and resolution. It combines insights from
International Relations, Political Economy, Social Movements, and
Peace Studies.
Over five days, senior scholars and experts will lead lectures and case-study discussions on key themes. The program bridges a gap in traditional academic training by fostering cross-disciplinary dialogue.
Structure & Requirements
Participation Guidelines
Applicants to the Summer School are requested to participate in presence for the whole week. Participants who attend at least 80% of the course (i.e., four out of five days) will receive a certificate of attendance. Those interested in attending a few sessions only, may write an email to schoolwarpeace@sns.it with the request to join as auditors in presence for specific days. Online participation is not available. However, sessions may be published on the School’s YouTube channel after the course.
Preliminary Programme
Monday 29 September
The world system
10-11 Welcome and presentation of the School and participants
11-13
The world system: capitalism, hegemony, conflicts |
Mario Pianta, Scuola Normale Superiore
14-16
The war system: (dis)armament and international relations
| Francesco Strazzari, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna
16.30-18.30
The Russia-Ukraine war and the European order | László
Andor, former EU Commissioner, FEPS Brussels, Volodymyr Ishchenko,
Freie Universität in Berlin
Discussants
Maria Chiara Franceschelli, Scuola Normale Superiore
Daniela Musina, Scuola Normale Superiore
Andrey Maliuk, Scuola Normale Superiore, Università di Trieste
Tuesday 30 September
Politics, war and peace
10-12
Patterns of war and conflict Dynamics | Margareta
Sollenberg, Upssala Universitet (invited)
13-15
Power and peace: a critique of international interventions |
Mats Berdal, King's College London
15.30-18.30
Israel's genocide in Palestine: the global architecture of
injustice | Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur on
the Occupied Palestinian Territory (online)
The Israel-Palestine question: history and dynamics | Paola Caridi, journalist and author, Anna Foa, historian and author
Discussants
Lorenzo Bosi, Scuola Normale Superiore
Arees Bishara, Scuola Normale Superiore
Hadeel Karkar, Scuola Normale Superiore
Wednesday 1 October
International law and environmental conflicts
10-11.45
Law and ethics of war | Matthew Evangelista, Cornell
University
12-14
The environment, and conflicts in Africa | Luca Raineri,
Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna
Discussants
Laura Berlingozzi, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna
Giuliano Garavini, Università Roma Tre
Luigi Pellizzoni, Scuola Normale Superiore
15.30-18.30
Presentations by participants, thematic discussion groups,
meetings with speakers
Tutor
Daniela Musina, Scuola Normale Superiore
Thursday 2 October
The political economy of war
10-11.45
The military economy: arms expenditures, industry, exports
| Raul Caruso, Università Cattolica di Milano
12-13.30
The military programmes in Europe and Italy | Futura
D’Aprile, Scuola Normale Superiore, Francesco Vignarca, Rete
Italiana Pace e Disarmo
14.30-16
Digital tecnologies, Artificial Intelligence and the military
| Dario Guarascio, Sapienza Università di Roma
16.30-18.30
Artificial Intelligence and the erosion of human control on
warfare | Guglielmo Tamburrini, Università di Napoli
Federico II
Discussants
Marco Stamegna, Scuola Normale Superiore
Paolo Maranzano, Scuola Normale Superiore
Friday 3 October
Peace-making
9.30-11.30
Peace and solidarity mobilisations for Palestine |
Donatella della Porta, Scuola Normale Superiore
11.45-13.15
Conflict resolution and peace-making from below | Mauro
Garofalo, Comunità di Sant’Egidio, Roma
Discussants
Federica Frazzetta, Scuola Normale Superiore
Federica Stagni, Scuola Normale Superiore
Sessione in italiano
14-16
I movimenti per la pace in Europa | Luciana Castellina,
già Parlamentare europea , Donatella della Porta, Scuola Normale
Superiore
16.15-18.30
Il pacifismo in Italia | Raffaella Bolini, Arci/Pace in
movimento, Giulio Marcon, Campagna Sbilanciamoci!
Interventi
Gianni Alioti, WeaponsWatch
Martin Koehler, Campagna Sbilanciamoci!
Flavio Lotti, Tavola della Pace
____________________________________