How can fraternity become a real force in economic life, shaping policies, enterprises, communities and personal choices? The EoF Summer School 2026 brings together young researchers, entrepreneurs, and changemakers to explore this question in depth, combining solid reflection, lived experience and collaborative work.
Hosted in Germany for the first time, the program offers a unique space to study, dialogue and experiment around Fraternity, the Economy of Francesco and the friend institutions that will take part in this program.
Abstract
This summer school explores fraternity as both a generative force already present within economic life and a horizon that can guide its renewal. While often treated as an inspirational moral principle, fraternity is also a lived economic reality: it animates cooperation in workplaces, sustains trust in markets, and nurtures innovation through relationships of reciprocity and openness. Yet, because it often operates quietly, like the mycelium beneath a forest floor, fraternity is frequently overlooked and rarely measured.
Drawing on theological and philosophical traditions, including the Franciscan heritage and Catholic Social Teaching, alongside contemporary economic theory, organizational studies, and behavioral sciences, this program invites participants to broaden how they see and study economic relationships. We will investigate fraternity as a relational good that already shapes institutions and enterprises, and we will examine emerging empirical methods capable of detecting, quantifying, and comparing fraternal dynamics within and across economies.
Through lectures, workshops, field encounters, and collaborative research labs, participants will learn to recognize where fraternity is already flourishing, where it is fragile, and how it might be strengthened. Emphasis will be placed on relational indicators, inclusive governance, prosocial entrepreneurship, and measurement tools that make visible what is often felt but not counted.
Open to scholars, students, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and practitioners, the program offers a space to refine our vision and methods, equipping participants not only to promote fraternity in economic and business life, but to perceive and measure the fraternity that quietly sustains it today.
Objectives
The Summer School aims to:
- Deepen the theoretical foundations of fraternity in economic thought, from classical sources to contemporary debates.
- Explore how fraternity can shape institutions and policies in areas such as labour, welfare, enterprise, finance and the environment.
- Offer participants tools for research and action, connecting academic work with real-life projects and communities.
- Build a living network of young scholars and professionals engaged with the Economy of Francesco process.
PROGRAM
Main components
- Academic lectures and plenary sessions
- Participant presentations and poster sessions
- Fraternity Challenge in working groups
- Moments of spiritual reflection
- Encounters with local institutions and initiatives
- Shared meals, informal exchange, and community-building moments
- Final synthesis and future-oriented discussion
Saturday 29th of August (Osnabrück)
Arrival
Sunday 30th of August (Innovatorium, Osnabrück)
Official opening of the Summer School
Spiritual Reflection
Lectures by Luigino Bruni
Encounters with local actors from Osnabrück (Carolin Lauhoff, Managing Director of Stephanswerk Osnabrück, Maren Wilmes, Managing Director of the Caritasverband)
Groups dinner in the city
Monday 31st of August (Innovatorium, Osnabrück)
Spiritual reflection
Sessions on innovation, AI, enterprise and urban development (Dr. Henning Müller, Norbert Gemmeke, Prof. Dr. Felix Osterheider)
Start of the Fraternity Challenge
Poster sessions and labs
Evening dinner (Katharina Pötter, Mayor of the City of Osnabrück, and Stephan Muhle, former State Secretary)
Tuesday 01st of September (Innovatorium, Osnabrück)
Spiritual reflection
Session by the Economy of Francesco Foundation: World Fraternity Report
Plenary discussion on measuring relational goods and fraternal dynamics
Fraternity Challenge
Poster sessions and peer dialogue
Wednesday 02nd of September (Dreiflessen, Mettingen)
Spiritual reflection
Welcome to Draiflessen
Lecture and dialogue with Helen Alford on fraternity in practice, enterprise, ecology and human relationships
Presentation of the Fraternity Challenge proposals
Visits and activities in the city of Mettingen
Dinner and informal exchange
Thursday 03rd of September (Innovatorium, Osnabrück)
Spiritual moment
Final wrap-up session
Key insights, open questions and future collaborations
Closing words
Departures
A detailed programme will be shared with selected participants closer to the event.
APPLICATIONS PROCESS
The Summer School is designed for:
- Members of the EoF Community, academics, entrepreneurs and changemakers, from all over the world who would like to live this experience.
- Professionals interested in the Economy of Francesco and the topics to be addressed who wish to deepen the intellectual and practical roots of their commitment.
We welcome applications from all regions of the world. The working language will be English.
Given the limited number of available places, participation in the summer school requires submitting an application by completing the form below.
A committee will review all applications, taking into account criteria such as age, gender, geographic origin, academic/professional background, and motivation.
Once you receive the acceptance confirmation email, you will be able to register and proceed with payment to complete your enrollment.
Deadline: 31st of May 2026
Results notification: June 2026
[CLICK HERE FOR THE APPLICATION FORM]
Participation Fees
Participation fees are structured according to the World Bank’s country income classification, updated annually. This approach is intended to promote broad and inclusive participation from around the world, taking into account different economic contexts.
IMPORTANT: To check your country’s classification, please refer to the official World Bank list.
The following categories are used:
- €390 (Upper-middle-income countries and High-income countries)
- €300 (Low-income countries and Lower-middle-income countries)
SCHOLARSHIPS
A limited number of scholarships will be available to support participation in the EoF International Summer School 2026. The aim of this support is to make the programme accessible to a diverse group of young participants, especially those who show strong motivation and relevance to the themes of the Summer School but who may face financial barriers to attending.
Two types of scholarship support will be offered:
- participation fee support, which covers the participation fee
- partial travel support, which contributes to travel expenses
Applicants may request one form of support, depending on their circumstances and the available budget. All scholarship requests will be reviewed by the organizing team on the basis of financial need, motivation, relevance to the Summer School, and the contribution each applicant can bring to the diversity and quality of the group.
To proceed with your request, please download the PDF file below and read the instructions carefully. Then access the scholarship application form using the link provided in the document.
[Download the scholarship document in PDF format]
Visa support
For those participants that need to apply for a visa to participate in the EoF Summer School 2026 we recommend starting the visa application as soon as possible. The EoF Foundation is not responsible for refusals or delays in visa processes.
It is the responsibility of the participant to present the visa application in time and with the required documents.
The EoF Foundation can support with Letters of Participation, please read the information here:
After carefully reading the visa support that can be offered by the EoF Foundation please contact the email [email protected]
