The Keynesian Working Group of the Young Scholars Initiative (YSI) is pleased to announce a call for abstracts for the YSI Pre-conference session at the inaugural International Conference in Ecological Macroeconomics, to be held at the University of Florence, Italy, on September 10–12, 2026.
Ecological Macroeconomics is an emerging field at the intersection of macroeconomics, ecological economics, and complexity science. It develops theoretical and modelling frameworks that embed economic systems within biophysical limits, explicitly address inequality and social justice, and explore de-growth and post-growth development pathways through scenario analysis rather than optimisation.
This inaugural international conference aims to bring together scholars, early-career researchers, students, and practitioners working on ecological macroeconomic theory and modelling, with particular attention to applications relevant to the Global South and to the design of policies supporting a just ecological transition.
The conference will be preceded by the Second Edition of the Summer School in Ecological Macroeconomic Modelling, which this year focuses on the Global South. More information about the summer school can be found here.
Call for Abstracts
We invite young scholars to submit abstracts presenting their ongoing research, research projects, or work in progress (maximum 500 words).
Selected applicants will have the opportunity to present their research during the YSI pre-conference session at the I International Conference in Ecological Macroeconomics. This represents an excellent opportunity for young researchers to discuss their work, receive feedback from senior scholars,
The Keynesian Working Group of the Young Scholars Initiative (YSI) is pleased to announce a call for abstracts for the YSI Pre-conference session at the inaugural International Conference in Ecological Macroeconomics, to be held at the University of Florence, Italy, on September 10–12, 2026.
Ecological Macroeconomics is an emerging field at the intersection of macroeconomics, ecological economics, and complexity science. It develops theoretical and modelling frameworks that embed economic systems within biophysical limits, explicitly address inequality and social justice, and explore de-growth and post-growth development pathways through scenario analysis rather than optimisation.
This inaugural international conference aims to bring together scholars, early-career researchers, students, and practitioners working on ecological macroeconomic theory and modelling, with particular attention to applications relevant to the Global South and to the design of policies supporting a just ecological transition.
The conference will be preceded by the Second Edition of the Summer School in Ecological Macroeconomic Modelling, which this year focuses on the Global South. More information about the summer school can be found here.
Call for Abstracts
We invite young scholars to submit abstracts presenting their ongoing research, research projects, or work in progress (maximum 500 words).
Selected applicants will have the opportunity to present their research during the YSI pre-conference session at the I International Conference in Ecological Macroeconomics. This represents an excellent opportunity for young researchers to discuss their work, receive feedback from senior scholars, and engage with an international research community working on ecological macroeconomics and sustainability transitions.
How to Apply
Young scholars can submit their abstracts through the following form: Apply here! Applications will be evaluated based on the relevance and proximity with the conference themes. If selected, applicants will be invited to present their work at the YSI pre-conference session. Priority will be given to participants in the summer school, but all interested young scholars are warmly encouraged to apply.
Selected young scholars may expect to receive accommodation, participation in the YSI social dinner and exemption from the conference participation fee.
Confirmed Keynote Speakers
Xi Ji. Tenured Associate Professor and Senior Researcher at the School of Economics, Peking University (PKU). As Chief Economist of China’s National Social Science Major Project, she leads a research group focusing on Ecological Economics, Genuine Progress and Wellbeing, Ecological Civilization, and Ecological Institutions in China.
Yannis Dafermos. Reader in Economics at SOAS University of London and currently serving as the Head of the Department of Economics. His research focuses on ecological and financial macroeconomics, climate finance, climate-aligned development, inequalities, and the political economy of the green transition.
Mario Giampietro. Recently retired from the Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), Barcelona. Until September 2023, he was ICREA Research Professor at the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain, where he dedicated his academic career to the integrated assessment of (uncomfortable) sustainability issues using concepts from complex systems theory. Presently he is collaborating with the European Centre for Governance in Complexity (ECGC) in Norway, where his research is focused on the bioeconomy, biosemiotics, post-normal science, and governance in complexity. He has (co)authored over 150 publications, including six books.
Tiziano Distefano. Associate Professor in Ecological Economics at the Department of Economics, University of Florence (Italy), serving on the Board of two doctoral programs: Social Sciences for Sustainability and Wellbeing (S3W) and Urban Future Studies (UFS). Principal Investigator of the PRIN PNRR Project “MUST4Water” and previously led the MIT-UNIPI MISTI Grant project “EMERITUS” in collaboration with MIT and Virginia Tech. In 2024-25, he was elected to the Board of the International Society for Ecological Economics (ISEE).
Important Dates
Abstract submission deadline: May 18th, 2026
Notification of acceptance: May 22th, 2026
Summer School in Ecological Macroeconomics and the Gloubal South: September 7-9, 2026.
I International Conference in Ecological Macroeconomics Modelling: September 10-12, 2026.
Contact us for any further queries.
Laura Colli – laura.colli1@unifi.it
Vinícius Centeno – vinicius.dasilvacenteno@unifi.it
Pedro Serra – pedro.solano22@uva.es
Guilherme Morlin – guilherme.morlin@unipi.it
