Online component of the Summer School on the Economy of Francesco begins

The online component of the fourth Erasmus+ BIP Summer School on the Economy of Francesco began on Tuesday, September 2, 2026. This year’s theme focuses on promoting solidarity in economics and communication, inspired by the spirit of St. Francis of Assisi. The Summer School marks the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi, whose legacy provides the values and conceptual foundation for the global Economy of Francesco project.

The online component of the programme was opened with welcoming remarks by the hosts, Associate Professor Marijana Kompes, PhD, from the Department of Theology at the Catholic University of Croatia, and Bruno Petrušić, PhD, from the Docat Centre in Split and The Economy of Francesco (EoF) Croatia. Students from Croatia, Poland, Belgium, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Italy, France, and several African countries are participating in the Summer School.

The opening was followed by lectures delivered by Lluis Oviedo, OFM, from the Pontifical University Antonianum in Rome (Saint Francis as anti-economy); Alessandra Viscovi from the School of Sustainable Management at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Milan (The vocation of a leader in today's business world: opportunities for leaders to make a difference by creating more solidary organization); and Belgian entrepreneur and consultant Lucie Evers (What solidarity really is).

During the online component, students will attend lectures by renowned experts and speakers from Italy, Spain, Belgium, the United States, Singapore, and the Netherlands, as well as take part in interactive discussions. The programme will continue in person in Split on Sunday, September 6, 2026, and will last for one week. Through a series of lectures and workshops, as well as a cultural and spiritual programme, participants will explore the themes of economics, communication, solidarity, and leadership in the spirit of St. Francis of Assisi, the Economy of Francesco, and the social teaching of the Church.

The co-organizers of the Summer School are The Economy of Francesco (EoF) Croatia, the Department of Theology in cooperation with the University Department of Communication Studies of the Catholic University of Croatia, Docat Centre Split, The Economy of Francesco (EoF) Foundation in Assisi, and the Pontifical University Angelicum in Rome. Erasmus+ BIP partner institutions are Thomas More University of Applied Sciences in Belgium and the University of Applied Sciences in Tarnow, Poland.