War, peace and the world order

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

• Advance reading and active participation in discussions/workshops
• A short final essay (topic agreed with instructors)
• Certificate of attendance; PhD students may earn credits toward their program
• Optional research project presentation for PhD candidates

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
 

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* MERITA, the network for talent project is the result of a collaboration between five Italian academic institutions: the Scuola Normale Superiore, the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, the Collegio Superiore dell’Università di Bologna, the Scuola Galileiana di Studi Superiori dell’Università di Padova and the Scuola Superiore di Studi Avanzati della Sapienza Università di Roma.
The MERITA project is funded within the Piano Nazionale di Ripresa e Resilienza (PNRR), Missione 4 – Istruzione e Ricerca, Componente 1, Investimento 3.4 "Didattica e competenze universitarie avanzate"- "Rafforzamento delle Scuole universitarie superiori". (National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), Mission 4 – Education and Research, Component 1, Investment 3.4 "Advanced university teaching and competences" - "Enhancement of the institutions for higher education").