YSI @ V Agent-Based Models in Economics Seasonal School 2026 | Sant’Anna

The economy is a complex and ever-changing system that requires sophisticated analytical tools to understand its many dimensions. As young researchers, we often grapple with how to account for heterogeneity, interactions, non-linearities, path dependency, and tipping points, among other factors.

That’s where agent-based models come in. These powerful tools can help us tackle the complexity of the economy. In this project, we will learn and explore together the frontiers of macro ABM and how it can help us answer the most pressing economic questions of our time.

Our project is a partnership with the Institute of Economics at the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, which offers a seasonal school on “Agent-Based Models in Economics: Theory, Toolkit, and Policy Laboratories.” This year’s school follows the success of the 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025 editions and includes discussions organized by the YSI side event, lectures on ABM techniques, software labs to develop and design models, and instructions on how to analyze data produced by ABMs.

By participating in this program, selected students will acquire the technical and methodological skills necessary to successfully develop and analyze simulation models in their research projects. Whether as part of a PhD or research paper, this training will allow them to use ABMs as a valuable tool to gain insights into the economy’s workings

More information about the school can be found here. The school is aimed at Master’s and Ph.D. students enrolled in Economics curricula, while applicants from other disciplines are also welcome.