Political Economy of Natural Resources and Environmental Change
Summer School at the University of Tübingen
18-20 June, 2026
Summer School at the University of Tübingen
18-20 June, 2026
The Political Economy of Natural Resources and Environmental Change Summer School will explore the relationship between natural resources and governance, conflict, labour, and technological change and examine the historical evolution of institutions to manage their use. In isolation, each perspective yields an incomplete picture, yet rapid environmental change makes a fuller understanding of these issues urgent. Thus, this summer school aspires to bring together complementary perspectives in an interdisciplinary forum.
Recent scholarship has underscored how political and institutional contexts shape the access to and control over natural resources. At the same time, attention has turned to the role of conflict and coercion in enabling extraction, particularly in colonial and wartime contexts. Studies of energy transitions and common-pool resources further highlight the feedback between resource regimes and socio-environmental change. These issues continue to inform contemporary debates about environmental justice, inequality, and sustainability. In this summer school, we will explore and discuss the political economy of natural resources across time and space.
The program includes two and a half days of academic sessions, as well as two hands-on workshops, focusing on natural language processing and science communication.
We explicitly welcome contributions that engage with diverse geographies and periods.
Submission | 500 word abstract
Deadline | 28th February, 2026
Mail | econhist.tuebingen@gmail.com
Funding is available for a limited number of participants.
Keynotes will be given by:
Prof. Ann M. Carlos | University of Colorado
Ass. Prof. Stefania Galli | University of Gothenburg
Methodological workshop will be given by:
Dr. Louis Henderson | London School of Economics
Dr. Sarah Ferber | FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg
The Summer School is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the Ministry of Science, Research, and Arts Baden-Württemberg as part of the Excellence Strategy of the federal and state governments.