Department of
Economics

Policies of vulnerability: law and institutions facing transitions
Summer School

  • When: 30th June - 4th July 2025
  • Where: Ca’ Foscari University of Venice
  • Deadline for application: April 30th, 2025, 12.00 pm (CET)

This Summer School is organised within the framework of VIVA - Venice Initiative on Vulnerability Analysis, project funded by the programme ‘Departments of Excellence 2023-2027’.

The Summer School

We are living in an era marked by "systemic crises," which challenge and necessitate a rethinking of the social, economic, and legal paradigms underpinning community life. These profound transformations arise from digital evolution, the imperative to combat climate change, and the increasingly diverse social composition driven by migration dynamics and demographic decline. Most recently, the Covid-19 pandemic has prompted a reimagining of public intervention in the economy to mitigate the socio-economic repercussions of a protracted health emergency.
In this context, Western – particularly European – legal systems are increasingly called upon to address individual vulnerabilities. This imperative is rooted in the essential premise of European constitutionalism: the recognition and protection of the fundamental rights of every human being.
However, translating such a high ideal into the various dimensions of social life – and consequently into legal frameworks – is far from straightforward. Different forms of vulnerability often intersect, demanding nuanced and context-specific responses. These responses frequently require proactive and resource-intensive measures, inevitably clashing with the finite availability of resources.
Institutions (legislators, administrative bodies, and courts) are thus confronted with difficult choices. Around vulnerabilities, policies – in the broadest sense – are constructed, requiring the identification of objectives, methods, and the sacrifices that may be imposed on others. All this must occur without betraying the constitutional cornerstone of human centrality. At the same time, vulnerabilities are not only the focus of policy-making but also of political maneuvering. There is a genuine risk of their politicization, whereby certain vulnerabilities are prioritized and addressed, while others are overlooked or marginalized. This concern is particularly acute in contexts where regulatory and normative powers are concentrated in the hands of private entities, as is often the case with the internet.
The Summer School seeks to provide a forum for advanced exploration of these critical issues: What are the institutional responses to vulnerabilities arising from the crises outlined above? Is there a coherent legal approach to addressing vulnerabilities across various domains – such as labor, market dynamics, community life, and international relations?

Scientific Committee
Deadlines

Application deadline: 30th April 2025
Notification of decision: 15th May 2025
Registration: 30th May 2025

For further information: progetto.viva@unive.it

Application

The Summer School is open to a maximum of 15 participants. The target of students will be master degree students, PhD, post doc, and early career researchers with a background in the Summer School matters. There is no participation fee but attendees will need to cover their own travel and accommodation expenses.

Participants will be selected on the basis of their CV and motivation letters. A Certificate of Attendance will be provided at the end.

Deadline for application is the April 30th, 2025, at 12.00 pm (CET).

Applications must be submitted by e-mail to the following address: progetto.viva@unive.it. Results will be communicated by May 15th, 2025. 

file pdf Call for application 372 KB

Schedule

Courses will be held in Italian and English.

file pdf Programme
30th June - 4th July 2025 		2 MB