News

The Summer School is intended for early-career researchers, especially PhD students and advanced doctoral candidates.
The deadline for application is the 20^th of June. For more details on the summer school and the link to apply, please follow this link.
Applicants may apply for one of two tracks:
1. Full ISQOLS–WISER Research Track including: the Summer School in Siena;the WISER Conference;  andthe ISQOLS Winter Conference 2027 (date to be defined).
Applicants to this track must submit a short research proposal; a CV; a short motivation letter.

 2. Summer School Only Track
Applicants to this track must submit a CV and a short motivation letter.

Is it possible to reconcile the economy, environmental sustainability, and human well-being? A widespread view holds that the ecological transition will inevitably require sacrifices that may reduce individual well-being. Policies aimed at reducing emissions, limiting consumption, and transforming production systems are often portrayed as costly in terms of quality of life.

But is this necessarily the case? Can insights from studies on well-being help identify pathways toward an economy that is both environmentally sustainable and conducive to human well-being?

This conference aims to explore the relationship between happiness and sustainability from an interdisciplinary perspective. It seeks to bring together scholars working in economics, sociology, psychology, political science, environmental studies, and related fields to address a central question: can we design institutions, policies, and lifestyles that simultaneously enhance well-being and respect planetary boundaries?

Findings from the WISER Project suggest that a positive answer is possible. A growing body of research suggests that beyond a certain threshold, increases in income and consumption yield limited gains in well-being, while generating substantial environmental costs. Factors such as social relationships, trust, meaningful work, and access to public goods play a crucial role in shaping life satisfaction—often with a much lower ecological footprint. At the same time, the patterns that have generated growth across the past half century have undermined the foundations of human happiness—eroding social connections, weakening communities, and displacing the sources of a meaningful life. These WISER findings raise the possibility that a reorientation of economic systems toward well-being may also support sustainability.

The conference welcomes both theoretical and empirical contributions, as well as policy-oriented analyses.

ABSTRACT SUBMISSION

Submission Guidelines
Authors are invited to submit an abstract (max 300 words) or a full paper. Submissions should clearly state the research question, methodology, and main findings (if available).

Submission deadline: 21 June 
Notification acceptance:30 June
Registration deadline:30 July

Find all the details here https://www.congressi.unisi.it/happiness2026/
Please send the abstract to wiserconference26@gmail.com

The following information must be included:

1. Title of the presentation
2. Name of the presenter (underlined, also in the submitted abstract) / Co-author(s)
3. Presenter’s affiliation

Hosted by Julia Föllmer, Javier Martínez and Carmen Anthonj (ITC Faculty, University of Twente), the session will present WISER case studies from Kenya, South Africa, Ghana and Peru on non-economic drivers of well-being: what improves well-being, for whom, where and under which conditions. It focused on how water and sanitation, social capital, governance, co-production and placemaking shape quality of life in disadvantaged communities, and identified cross-cutting policy lessons for the WISER Green Book and for dissemination beyond academia. Contributors: Caroline Kabaria, Dennis Musyoka and Dancan Owaga (APHRC, Kenya); Gail Anders and Michael Krause (VPUU NPC, South Africa); Michael Ayertey Nanor (KNUST, Kumasi, Ghana); Liliana Miranda Sara (Foro Ciudades para la Vida and IPCC Lead Author, Peru).

Monday, 6 July 2026, 14:00–15:30 CET
The webinar will be held in English via MS Teams and recorded.
Registration click here https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/caeef23d-d59a-4a04-9678-466ca9ddd4a3@723246a1-c3f5-43c5-acdc-43adb404ac4d

WISER announce ITS participation in the 30th Anniversary Conference of the International Society for Quality of Life Studies (ISQOLS), taking place in Luxembourg (22-25 July).
This milestone event brings together researchers, practitioners, and changemakers from around the globe to explore the latest insights in quality-of-life studies and WISER is proud to be a partner, hosting 3 special sessions on 22,23 and 25 July.
These sessions will showcase cutting-edge research, interdisciplinary dialogue, and inspiring speakers who are studying and improving the future of wellbeing metrics and policy.
- Well-being for All through Urban Blue and Green
- Well-being Learnings from Africa and Latin America
- Spaces, Places and Measures of Wellbeing and Happiness
The 23rd Annual ISQOLS Conference is organized in collaboration with the Research Department of STATEC and the University of Luxembourg with the support of the Luxembourg Ministry of the Economy.

Read more about ISQOLS conference here 
https://isqols.org/2025