From 6 to 10 July 2026, the Faculty of Economics of the University of Niš (FEUN) hosted the 18th International Summer School of Economics (ISSE 2026) under the theme “Data-Driven Governance: Summer School on Policy Analytics and Urban Development.” The event was organised within the framework of the UR-WISE project, bringing the project’s core mission: advancing data-based policy-making for resilient urban and regional development, directly to students, researchers, and practitioners from across Europe. This year’s summer school put that ambition into practice.
The programme opened on Monday with an introductory lecture, “Data, Mind & Choice,” delivered by Dr Jelena Stanković and Dr Ivana Marjanović (FEUN), followed by Dr Anton Vorina (Vocational College Celje, Slovenia) on “AI in my Classroom: From Data-Driven Insights to Empathetic Teaching.” Participants also enjoyed a guided walking tour of Niš.
Tuesday was dedicated to a full-day hands-on workshop, “Data-Driven Cities: Policy Analysis and Urban Development,” led by Nikola Pejović and Nenad Dimitrijević, giving participants practical tools to translate urban data into policy insight.
On Wednesday, the focus turned to resilience and sustainability. Prof. Dr Mirko Kraft (Coburg University, Germany) explored “Before the Rain: Heavy Rain Risk Prevention and Insurability of Buildings,” while Dr Sonja Jovanović (FEUN) presented “Living Labs for Sustainable Cities: From Data to Action” and Aleksandar Manasijević (FEUN) discussed “Building Living Labs: From Concept to Practice.” The day concluded with an introduction to the workshop on the co-design of nature-based solutions (NbS).
Thursday featured an in-depth NbS co-design workshop led by Claudia Romelli and Alessandro Cattini of Poliedra – Politecnico di Milano (Italy), followed by organisation and country presentations that celebrated the international spirit of the school.
The school closed on Friday with a diploma ceremony recognising all participants.
By convening speakers and partners from Serbia, Slovenia, Germany, and Italy, ISSE 2026 embodied the brain-circulation and international-collaboration goals at the heart of UR-WISE. The mix of lectures, hands-on workshops, and living-lab methodologies reflected the project’s multifaceted approach to policy analytics, combining spatial analysis, citizen engagement, and evidence-based evaluation to support more sustainable and resilient cities.
We thank all lecturers, workshop facilitators, partner institutions, and participants for making this year’s summer school a success, and we look forward to continuing this work as UR-WISE advances toward its goal of establishing FEUN as a centre of excellence in data-driven urban and regional development.