Common challenges, shared solutions.
Topic:
Rapid population growth — projected to reach approximately nine billion people by 2050 — combined with climate change and rising water demand, makes sustainable water resource management one of the central challenges of the 21st century.
This summer school will disentangle climate change-induced alterations to the water cycle and assess their impacts on freshwater availability, a resource essential for both human societies and ecosystems. Embedded in the framework of the UN Agenda 2030 and Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6, the summer school adopts an interdisciplinary teaching approach combining lectures, discussions, and scientific excursions.
Particular emphasis is placed on maritime geographies, global wastewater contamination, treatment and sustainable re-use. The program will examine innovative purification and sensing technologies for the agrifood supply chain and explore advanced approaches such as energy-autonomous water desalination.
By bringing together interdisciplinary perspectives, the program aims to foster shared understanding and collaborative solutions for shaping a resilient and equitable “blue future” for people and nature worldwide, highlighting the urgent need to link local action with global responsibility.
Come along! Discover current discourses and interdisciplinary scientific perspectives!
And that’s not all:
Experience practical implementation during excursions, including the renaturalization project of the Nidda river in Frankfurt. Explore the lovely city of Mainz, famous for its Roman heritage, with a local guide. Admire the three most famous attractions: the Romanesque cathedral, the Gutenberg printing press and the Carnival fountain. Beyond that, you can explore the Rhineland and discover Rhine-Hesse as the country's largest wine-growing region: Visit the elegant spa town of Bad Homburg with its historic parks and castle, and experience the vibrant metropolis of Frankfurt am Main, a dynamic hub of finance, culture, and international exchange.
BIP dates, conditions, application and funding:
- Organizing/Hosting university: Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz
- Participating universities: Université de Bourgogne, Univerzita Karlova Praha, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Universitat de València, Jyväskylän yliopisto
- Virtual kick-off event: June 15, 2026. 10.00-12.30 am
- Physical mobility: Thursday, July 2 - Friday, July 10, 2026
- Type of mobility: Blended Intensive Program
- Type of scholarship: ERASMUS+ blended short-term mobility funding
- Max. number of participants: 20 (FORTHEM / ERASMUS+ partner universities) + 4 Sultan Quaboos University Muscat, Oman + 6 (JGU Mainz / RMU study program), open for undergraduate, graduate, or postgraduate students
- Number of ECTS: 3
- Accomodation: Youth hostels will be reserved in advance by the organization team (you don't need to book it)
- APPLICATION DEADLINES: 1 March 2026 (international students), 15 May (JGU + RMU students)
For any questions (conditions, fees, application, funding), do not hesitate to contact us: international.nullneun@uni-mainz.de
