In this summer school, IIASA provides systematic guidance on the development and use of mathematical and computer models, addressing uncertainties in data and processes, exploring solution spaces, and distilling viable options for taking policy action. IIASA's goal is to equip researchers with a solid understanding of modeling practices and limitations of models.  

The two-week course is designed for Master’s and PhD students, as well as post-doctoral researchers who wish to use or develop models broadly related to the sustainability agenda. 

Danila, the only Israeli student accepted to the 2026 IIASA Summer School Program, shares his reflections on the experience:

The IIASA Summer School was an intensive two-week program that combined academic learning, interdisciplinary collaboration, and valuable social interaction. During the first week, we attended lectures covering both the general principles of systems thinking and modelling and more specific methods, tools, and examples of their practical application. On most days, we had to choose between two parallel programs. Deciding which lecture to attend was probably one of the most difficult decisions of the day, as both options were highly relevant and interesting. 

At the end of the first week, the participants were divided into project groups. Everyone proposed a topic, and related ideas were gradually combined. This is how our Group 5, informally called “the Ecologists,” was formed. Throughout the second week, we worked intensively on a project in which we tried to apply the approaches and skills introduced during the lectures. One of our main challenges was finding a common research idea that matched the experience and interests of all group members. Both the Summer School as a whole and our group in particular brought together specialists from a very broad range of disciplines, including economics, mathematics, ecology, and zoology. 

After many lively discussions, we developed a project entitled Strategies for Transboundary Ecological Corridor Planning. We aimed to explore the functional and economic effectiveness of ecological corridors for large mammals. We selected a region along the border between Canada and the United States as our case study, with the longer-term idea of examining how differences in environmental policy may affect ecologically similar territories on opposite sides of an international border. My main responsibility was to develop an agent-based model using the wolf as a test species. This gave me an opportunity to work with a modelling approach that was relatively new to me and to consider how animal movement, landscape structure, mortality risks, and habitat preferences could be represented within a spatial simulation. 

We worked extremely well as a team and became so involved in the project that we often lost track of time. More broadly, networking was one of the most valuable aspects of the Summer School. The interdisciplinary conversations with other participants during the program, social activities, and even on the daily journey from Vienna to Laxenburg – were often as interesting as the formal lectures. Speaking with researchers from very different fields encouraged me to look at familiar ecological questions from new perspectives. 

Overall, my experience at IIASA was extremely positive, and I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to participate. The program provided not only new knowledge and practical tools but also inspiration for my future research. I am already considering how agent-based modelling could be incorporated into my PhD project, and I have several preliminary ideas about how it might help me address some of my research questions. 

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Danila's research is about the impact of multi-year extreme drought on plant community dynamics and soil seed banks in a Mediterranean shrubland ecosystem. He also takes part in other studies at the Matta long-term ecological research station. The research supervisor is Prof. Marcelo Sternberg (https://en-lifesci.tau.ac.il/profile/marcelos).  

The Archimedes Center is proud to support Danila's participation in the program via the support of the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology.