Welcome to the 2026 Summer School Application!
The Division of Prevention and Health Promotion (PHP) of the WHO Regional Office for Europe, in collaboration with Université Côte d’Azur and Ulysseus European University, invite you to submit your application for the 2026 Summer School: Systems Thinking and Innovation for Preventing Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs) and Promoting Healthy Ageing in the WHO European Region.
Developed with technical support from Queen’s University Belfast (WHO Collaborating Centre for Systems Thinking and Innovation for the Prevention of NCDs) and York University, the Summer School will explore both the theory and practical application of systems thinking and systems-based approaches to tackle the complex challenges of NCDs and their risk factors. Its aim is to build participants’ capacity and expertise to apply systems-based methods for problem-solving and innovation, and to translate these methods into practical strategies that advance NCD prevention and promote healthy ageing.
The summer school is designed for researchers, health practitioners and policy makers interested in applying systems thinking and systems-based approaches to advance evidence-based policies, strengthen multi-sectoral collaboration and improve policy implementation. A key element of the programme is the opportunity to apply systems thinking approaches directly to participants’ own projects, ensuring that learning is relevant and applicable to their professional context.
The school will support participants in:
- understanding systems thinking theory, techniques and tools;
- acquiring the ability to identify and analyse key problems related to NCD prevention and healthy ageing, ensuring that their solutions are rooted in user needs and aspirations;
- learning and applying design thinking principles to foster creativity, ideation, and rapid prototyping of innovative solutions;
- developing a range of innovative solutions that address challenges in NCD prevention and healthy ageing;
- identifying common patterns in complex systems and how to mitigate them to implement policies and strategies more successfully; and
- developing skills to transfer research into policy.
The application process will open 16 October 2025 and close 21 November 2025.
The training will take place from 21-24 July 2026 in Nice, France. The teaching language will be in English.
Are you ready to start your application?
Please read all questions carefully and submit all items requested.
There are 14 questions in this survey.
