Adapting Fruit Crop Production to Climate Change in Southern France

As climate change increasingly reshapes agricultural systems across Europe, the need for innovative, science-based solutions has never been more urgent. The FRUIT ADAPT Summer School 2026, organized under the Erasmus+ NewClim initiative and the Euroleague for Life Sciences (ELLS), offers a unique opportunity for graduate students to engage directly with this global challenge—through hands-on, interdisciplinary learning in one of Europe’s key fruit-producing regions.

📍 Programme Overview

Hosted in the vibrant academic setting of Institut Agro Montpellier, this hybrid summer school combines online learning with an onsite immersive experience in Montpellier, France.

• Theme: Adapting Fruit Crop Production to Climate Change
• Approach: Challenge-Based Learning (CBL)
• Format: Online + Onsite
• Credits: 3 ECTS
• Application Deadline: January 15, 2026

A total of 30 Master’s and PhD students from across Europe will be selected to participate in this highly interactive programme.

🌍 An International Academic Collaboration

The Summer School brings together a strong network of leading institutions through the NewClim/ELLS partnership, including:

• Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU)
• Weincampus Neustadt
• University of Chile (UC)
• Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU)
• University of Tuscia (UNITUS)
• University of Hohenheim (UHOH)
• Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW)
• BOKU University

This international collaboration ensures a rich exchange of perspectives, expertise, and cultural insights.

🧠 A Challenge-Based Learning Experience

At the heart of the programme lies the Challenge-Based Learning (CBL) methodology—an innovative approach that places students in active roles as problem-solvers addressing real-world issues.

Participants will explore climate-related challenges in:

• Viticulture
• Fruit crop production
• Sustainable agriculture in Southern France

Working in interdisciplinary teams, students will define problems, investigate evidence, and design practical solutions grounded in scientific research and field experience.

📚 Programme Structure

🔹 Phase 1: Online Learning (May/June 2026)

This preparatory phase builds the theoretical and methodological foundation needed for the onsite experience.

Key activities include:

• Lectures from international experts
• Professional “expert carousel” sessions
• Workshops on scientific databases and AI tools
• Introduction to Challenge-Based Learning

Expected outcomes:
Participants will identify a sustainability challenge related to fruit production and produce a bibliographic synthesis to support their research.

🔹 Phase 2: Onsite Summer School (June 22–26, 2026)

Held at Institut Agro Montpellier, this immersive week focuses on practical application.

Highlights include:

• Field visits to farms and research facilities
• Roundtables with industry professionals
• Hands-on workshops (e.g., prototyping, serious games, podcasts)

Students will refine their projects, collect real-world data, and co-develop innovative, context-specific adaptation strategies.