8–12 June 2026 | IIASA, Laxenburg, Austria
BrightSpace, together with the LAMASUS and Tools4CAP Horizon Europe projects, is pleased to announce the 2026 Summer School on Advanced Modelling Techniques for Land-Use and Policy Analysis. Hosted at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), this one-week course offers an immersive introduction to cutting-edge modelling tools used to assess European agricultural, climate, and land-use policies.
👉 Applications are open until 31 January 2026
About the Summer School
Designed for emerging experts — Master’s and PhD students, early-career researchers, policy analysts, and advisors — the Summer School offers hands-on training in econometric, biophysical, and integrated land-use modelling. Through lectures, guided exercises, and interactive workshops, participants will learn how advanced models inform EU agricultural and climate policy design.
A core component of the programme is direct engagement with the LAMASUS Toolbox, a new system connecting land-use data, modelling, and policy pathways to support evidence-based decision-making at EU, national, and regional levels.
Throughout the week, participants will:
- Explore econometric and forward-looking modelling approaches for analysing land-use and land-management changes
- Understand how farm-level dynamics link to national and EU policy goals
- Work with the LAMASUS geodatabase and the IIASA Accelerator for scenario evaluation
- Gain insights into integrated models such as GLOBIOM, widely used in EU climate and land-use impact assessments
The training will help participants evaluate policy impacts on land use, carbon, biodiversity, and socio-economic outcomes — and prepare them to contribute expert analysis to ongoing debates on Europe’s green transition.
LAMASUS, BrightSpace, and Tools4CAP: A Joint Learning Initiative
The Summer School brings together complementary expertise from three major EU-funded research initiatives:
- LAMASUS bridges policy formulation, implementation, and monitoring through a unified Toolbox supporting land, agriculture, and climate policy assessments.
- BrightSpace supports the European Green Deal by developing pathways for agriculture to operate within a Safe and Just Operating Space, offering projections to 2050 and evidence-based recommendations.
- Tools4CAP enhances governance and monitoring tools for the CAP Strategic Plans (2023–2027), helping Member States design effective, results-based agricultural policies.
This combined training offers participants a unique window into the modelling methods used by the scientific community to inform European policy decisions.
Training Team
The course will be taught by leading IIASA researchers involved in high-profile policy assessments, including the DG CLIMA impact assessment for Europe’s 2040 Climate Targets. Trainers include:
Tamás Krisztin · Anastasios Haniotis · Linda See · Leopold Ringwald · Michael Wögerer · Juraj Balkovic ·
Thomas Oberleitner · Richard Cornford · Felicity Addo · Amanda Palazzo · Stefan Frank
How to Apply
Applicants must submit:
- Motivation letter (max. 1 page)
- Concise CV (max. 2 pages)
Participants should have basic quantitative skills and familiarity with R, Python, or similar environments. (No coding is required during the course.)
Selection results will be communicated by 15 March 2026.
Places are limited to 30 participants.
Course fee: Fully covered by LAMASUS, BrightSpace, and Tools4CAP (including training, lunches, coffee breaks, and two dinners).
Travel, accommodation, visas, and other costs are not covered.
Venue & Practical Information
The Summer School takes place at IIASA in Laxenburg, a former imperial palace located 15 km south of Vienna. The institute hosts a diverse community of researchers from over 50 countries and is internationally recognised for applying systems analysis to global sustainability challenges.
Participants are encouraged to stay near Vienna Central Station (Hauptbahnhof), with direct bus connections (approx. 30 minutes) to IIASA.
Visa note for non-European citizens:
Non-European citizens require a valid VISA to enter Austria. IIASA will support the visa application process with a support letter so that students can complete the visa application. This normally takes up to 8 weeks. IIASA cannot guarantee the visa will be processed in time.
Please note: For Iranian nationals, the Austrian Embassy in Tehran is reopening in November 2025. We anticipate visa applications to experience delays.
Deadline: 31 January 2026
Source: IIASA
Also read: Impressions and highlights of the first LAMASUS & BrightSpace summer school in 2025
