Summer Schools

Join the World Food System Summer School and become part of a community of motivated, like-minded students, researchers, and practitioners across the food valu echain. Together, you will design ideas to support sustainable food systems in a time of rapid change.

The Summer School takes place at PBlabs, a creative learning space in Zurich that enables project-based education and experimentation. Participants are immersed in the world of food systems, where they engage with real-world challenges through a mix of case studies, field visits, creative workshops, and design-thinking sessions. The program’s integrated approach, including guest speakers and reflective practice, is designed to develop the competencies required to drive meaningful change.

During this Summer School, you will:

• Explore challenges, opportunities, and innovations in food systems across disciplines, sectors, and scales.
• Collaborate with producers, leading research institutes, industry partners, policy makers, and civil society actors.
• Learn how to apply a food systems perspective that accounts for environmental, social, political, and economic dimensions.
• Co-create solutions in diverse, interdisciplinary teams, working on case studies and applying creativity and design thinking methodologies to address contemporary food system challenges.
• Communicate your ideas through visual and auditory storytelling techniques to effectively pitch your solutions and contribute to change.

The application period for the WFSC Summer School 2026 is now open. A complete application must be submitted via the link below by 25 January 2026 and includes:

• CV (PDF)
• Short video (max. 2 minutes) introducing yourself, your studies, and your motivation to participate
• Completed application form

You can access the application form external page here.

The application process is competitive, and all applicants, including ETH Zurich students, must submit a complete application.

Applicants must be currently enrolled in a Swiss higher education program (minimum 3rd-year Bachelor, Master’s, or PhD) or have recently graduated from one of these programs. Students from institutions within the ENHANCE Alliance are also eligible to apply.

As the Summer School is designed primarily to strengthen interdisciplinary, project-based teaching at ETH Zurich, priority is given to ETH Zurich students. A limited number of additional places are available for students from other Swiss higher education institutions and from ENHANCE partner universities.

Diversity is a core component of the program. If the number of applications exceeds the available 40–50 spots, selection will be based on eligibility as well as the goal of forming a diverse cohort in terms of disciplinary backgrounds, gender, nationality, culture, and life experiences.

Successful applicants will demonstrate:

• A strong interest in food system challenges and solutions
• Motivation for interdisciplinary and cross-​sector collaboration
• Openness to working with peers from diverse academic and personal backgrounds
• Relevant academic or practical experience

The course is taught in English, and we welcome participants from all disciplines.

The Summer School will take place in person from 29 June to 10 July 2026 at ETH Zurich.

Participants are expected to be present for the entire duration of the program. Please note that this is a full-time, immersive course, and it is not possible to work or pursue other studies in parallel.

ETH Zurich awards 4 ECTS credits and a certificate of completion to participants who successfully complete the course. Recognition of these credits within study programs at other institutions is the responsibility of each participant and must be clarified individually.

The course is free of charge. Local travel and all program-related activities are organized and covered by the course team.

Participants are responsible for arranging and covering their accommodation, travel to and from Zurich and PBLabs, and meals throughout the program. Unfortunately, we are not able to provide scholarships to support these expenses.

The course is organized by the World Food System Center at ETH Zurich, which works toward the vision of a healthy world supported by sustainable food systems. The Center brings together professorial members from multiple departments who engage in interdisciplinary research, education, and outreach in collaboration with partners across sectors.

ETH Zurich, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, is one of the world’s leading universities in science and technology. It hosts more than 25,000 students from over 120 countries and employs around 560 professors dedicated to advancing research and education at the highest international level.

 We are grateful to the Innovedum Fund for their financial contribution.