From 29 June to 3 July 2026, the Across European University Alliance successfully launched its first Summer School at the University of Girona (UdG), bringing together students and academics from across Europe to explore innovative approaches to sustainable river governance.
Entitled “Nature-based Solutions, Socio-Ecological Governance and Environmental Law”, the Summer School welcomed 28 bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral students for an intensive week of interdisciplinary learning dedicated to one of today’s most pressing environmental challenges: the sustainable management of freshwater ecosystems.
Hosted by one of the Alliance’s partner universities, the programme approached rivers as complex socio-ecological systems by combining expertise from environmental sciences, social sciences and environmental law. Using the city of Girona and the Muga River basin as living case studies, participants took part in lectures, panel discussions, collaborative workshops and field visits designed to connect theory with real-world environmental challenges.
Students from four partner universities participated in this first edition: 20 from the University of Udine (Italy), six from Białystok University of Technology (Poland), one from the University of Girona (Spain), and one from An-Najah National University (Palestine). The academic programme was delivered by 22 professors and researchers representing ten universities, research centres and research groups from several European countries, illustrating the Alliance’s strong commitment to interdisciplinary and international collaboration.
Throughout the week, participants explored innovative examples of integrated water management in Girona, focusing on flood risk management, drought governance, urban biodiversity strategies and water reuse. A second field excursion took participants to the Muga coastal plain, Empuriabrava, the Darnius-Boadella Reservoir and Albanyà, providing practical insights into river ecosystem governance across urban, rural and cross-border landscapes.
Beyond the academic programme, the Summer School strengthened participants’ interdisciplinary and international competences while encouraging collaboration between students and researchers. Working in multidisciplinary teams, participants developed conceptual proposals on river governance and nature-based solutions, laying the foundations for future joint educational initiatives, research collaborations and scientific publications within the Alliance.
As the first Summer School organised within Across, this initiative represents an important milestone in building a shared European learning environment. It also establishes a replicable educational model that supports the Alliance’s long-term ambitions to promote sustainability, foster innovative teaching and learning, and develop collaborative solutions to major societal and environmental challenges.
