The Siena International School on Sustainable Development returns on campus

June 9, 2022

The Siena International School on Sustainable Development 2022 is back for its third and final phase from the 13th to the 18th of June at Santa Chiara Lab, University of Siena. The school is organized by the Italian Alliance for Sustainable Development (ASviS), Santa Chiara Lab – University of Siena, and the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (UN SDSN), powered by Enel Foundation, and supported by the Italian University Network for Sustainable Development (RUS) and SDSN Europe. Among the international experts and lecturers, there will be Italian Minister Enrico Giovannini and Professor Jeffrey Sachs, economist at Columbia University.

The opening lecture by Minister Enrico Giovannini  and the closing lecture by Jeffrey Sachs, planned respectively on Monday June 13 at 11:30am and on Friday June 17 at 6:30pm CET, will be transmitted in live streaming on the School’s website and YouTube channel.

The fourth edition of the higher education school for skills in key areas of sustainable development is dedicated to decarbonization and reduction of climate-changing emissions. During the six days of this final in-person phase, the 30 selected students along with international experts and lecturers will research new concrete solutions to reach decarbonization and build a more equal and sustainable future for the planet. The participants were selected among the 370 admitted to the first two phases of the School, which took place in March and May respectively: an international public, coming from more than 60 countries, counting PhD students, young researchers, managers, teachers, public directors and policy makers. Thanks to the skills and the training offered by the school, the 30 participants of this high level in person phase will build a network of game changers, i.e. professional and highly qualified experts who will be able to suggest solutions and act practically to achieve carbon neutrality.

The program consists of two public events that will introduce and close the week of training: the opening will take place at the Santa Chiara Lab on Monday June 13 (from 11:30 to 12:30am CET) with the greetings of Francesco Frati, Dean of the University, Doctor Carlo Papa, Managing Director of the Enel Foundation and Professor Angelo Riccaboni, President of the Santa Chiara Lab and School Director. The opening lecture of Enrico Giovannini, Minister of Infrastructures and sustainable mobility will follow. The closing lesson of Professor Jeffrey Sachs, Director of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) and Director of Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University will take place on Friday the 17th of June (from 6:30 to 7:30pm CET), on campus, in the Courtyard of the Rettorato of the University of Siena.

Founded in 2018, the Siena International School on Sustainable Development was the first training initiative in Italy to explore the topics of the ONU 2030 Agenda and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The fourth edition has beenguided by a Scientific Committee whose Chair is Jeffrey Sachs (UN SDSN) and Co-Chairs are Phoebe Koundouri (University of Athens) and Carlo Papa (Enel Foundation). The School Director is Angelo Riccaboni, President of the Santa Chiara Lab – University of Siena and professor at the University of Siena.

“The Siena International School on Sustainable Development of the Santa Chiara Lab, now on its fourth edition, is finally starting on campus” says Francesco Frati, Dean of the University of Siena. “The pandemic and the current war shall not overshadow the urgency of the climate crisis, nor shall they sidetrack us from the goals of the 2030 Agenda. It is necessary to control the emergency and this School aims to answer the problem by training those who are meant to find new solutions and to suggest changes for a more equal and sustainable future for our Planet.”

“The high interest in the Siena International School on Sustainable Development, with more than 370 participants from more than 60 countries, testifies that training in sustainability plays a central role in the business world as well as in the public sector” claims Angelo Riccaboni, President of the Santa Chiara Lab – University of Siena and Co-Chair of SDSN Europe. “With this fourth edition the School means to build a network of actual game changers who will be able to face the change, imagine the future and find concrete solutions to change the current development model.”

“The worth of the Siena International School on Sustainable Development is the result of qualified multidimensional scientific knowledge in the field of decarbonization, which is developed and shared among a network of professionals. These experts talk, study and work together, today and tomorrow, to implement the energy transition in different fields and organizations. A network of institutions, governments, local administrations, companies, research centers and universities that wants to reach a systemic vision of sustainability” state Marcella Mallen and Pierluigi Serafini, Presidents[ZC(P1]  of ASviS, Italian Alliance for Sustainable Development.  

“We are glad we helped to start and expand the School during the past years, recruiting an increasing number of excellent participants” says Carlo Papa, Managing Director of Enel Foundation. “Research and training are essential to win the challenge of sustainable development and the collaboration of public institutions, academies and enterprises is the best way to go.”

Many prominent international experts and lecturers will join the school on campus: Carlo Papa (Enel Foundation), Granmenos Mastrojeni (Union for the Mediterranean), Loukia Tzekaki (P&G), Enrico Botta (OCSE), Peter Schimdt (European Economic Social Committee), Phoebe Kounduri (Athens University), Simone Bastianoni (University of Siena).

The program does not only include lectures, but also informal educational paths in historical places and a visit at the Banfi wine-making company, to meet personally innovative sustainable solutions. At the end of the training week the students will present their project, the result of the group work of the workshops.