Virtue and Democratic Resilience
Listening to the Voice of Ethics in a Broken Polis
From May 25th to the 30th, 2026
Venice International University – Island of San Servolo, Venice, Italy
The 2026 Venice Seminars will explore the relationship between civic virtue, character formation, and public ethics at a time of growing pressure on liberal democracies from autocratic actors, identity-driven polarization, and opportunistic leadership. Moving beyond the idea that institutions alone ensure democratic resilience, it starts from the premise that democracy also relies on shared moral cultures and forms of citizenship grounded in responsibility, temperance, competence, and reciprocity. The program examines how virtuous leaders and communities emerge, which social mechanisms foster ethical behavior, and how religious and secular traditions shape character formation in pluralistic societies.
Structure: The Summer School is structured in lectures and workshops. The lectures will take place each morning, from Monday to Wednesday and will be followed each afternoon by workshops. Each student will be assigned to one workshop group.
In the workshops, students will discuss and elaborate issues related to the conference and seminar topics and help in the preparation of a group presentation delivered by all students on the last day of the conference.
Evaluation: Attendance and engagement in the activities (40%); final paper to be submitted three weeks after the end of the seminars (60%).
Application requirements: the Summer School is open to students or young scholars in the field of humanities, social and political science, religious studies. or law from any background. A good working knowledge of English is required.
To apply, please e-mail the following to alessandra.tommasi@resetdoc.org by March 10, 2026, EOD.
- A short cover letter explaining your interest in the seminars (max 300 words).
- Your curriculum vitae.
- A personal ID (Passport or National Identity Document).
- References are welcome but not required.
- Kindly state whether you will need to apply for visa.
NB: In order to receive the certificate of attendance of the Summer School, attendance to all lectures, workshops, and Conference is mandatory.
Grants for the Summer School: Students are expected to cover their own costs. In lieu of grants, rooms have been booked on the Island of San Servolo for participating students.
The accomodation will be available for the entire week (check-in on Sunday the 26th of May and check-out on Saturday the 31st of May), on a first-come, first-served basis. Once beds are full, small grants will be disbursed on a case-by-case basis – depending on student CVs, cover letters, and travel distance to Venice.
Apply early to secure your spot! Kindly note that the rooms booked are 7 3-bed rooms with ensuite facilities. Rooms will be divided between male and female students.
There is no cost to attend the Venice Seminars.