The Ischia Summer School on the History of the Life Sciences provides advanced training in a lively international field that offers a long-term perspective on some of the most significant ideas, practices and institutions in the world today. The school, which has a tradition of association with the Naples Zoological Station that goes back to 1978, was revived in 2005 after a break of a decade and has run every other year since then except during the Coronavirus pandemic. Meeting in a culturally rich and naturally beautiful setting, the school offers a week-long experience of lively debate among students and scholars at various career stages and from diverse backgrounds.

Villa Dohrn seen from the harbour. Source: http://ischialaperladelgolfo.blogspot.com/2015/03/villa-dohrn.html

Our meeting place, Villa Dohrn, seen from the harbour. http://ischialaperladelgolfo.blogspot.com

The next school, which (subject to funding) will take place from 28 June to 5 July 2026, will delve into ‘Growth and Its Discontents’. Although critical to meeting the challenges of an ever-expanding global economy, growth has so far received little attention from historians of the life sciences or medicine.

Information about past schools