EAERE Interdisciplinary School in Resource and Environmental Economics 2026 on: Natural capital and ecosystem services valuation

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Deadline: November 3, 2025

University of Antwerp, Belgium and VU Amsterdam, the Netherlands

January 26-30, 2026

The Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM) of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands, the University of Antwerp, Belgium, and the European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists (EAERE) organise the 2025-2026 EAERE - VU AMSTERDAM - UNI-ANTWERP Interdisciplinary School series in Resource and Environmental Economics for postgraduate students.

The 2026 EAERE Interdisciplinary School will address the topic "Natural capital and ecosystem services valuation" and will take place from 26 to 30 January 2026 at the premises of VU Amsterdam and University of Antwerp.

The school

Climate change and environmental degradation are an existential threat. One of the priorities in the European Green Deal is the protection of Europe’s oceans, seas, and environment. The direct and indirect benefits people obtain from nature are referred to as ecosystem services. This concept provides a formal framework for analyzing and quantifying nature's contributions to human well-being. Valuing and monitoring the state of ES is essential for assessing the socio-economic consequences of service degradation and informing sustainable management practices. In recent years, the scientific literature on ecosystem service valuation has grown exponentially, and methods range from qualitative research to detailed quantitative assessment models.

To further contribute to the preservation of the marine and terrestrial environment for future generations, there is a strong need to further develop and implement appropriate methods for the valuation of natural resources, to understand how these values can be coupled with output from natural capital models, and how the combined insights can be correctly used within existing methods for project evaluation.

To meet this demand, this PhD expert course focuses on monetary and non-monetary valuation methods, as well as on cost benefit analysis and real options analysis as evaluation tools. As the actual actions to protect the natural environment are taken at the policy level, integration of the different work fields is required. 

A five-day event with methods lectures, keynote speakers bridging methods to field applications, and paper presentation sessions with discussants from the pool of participants and senior researchers. Participants will stay in Amsterdam from Monday to Wednesday and will then travel to Antwerp for the second part of the Interdisciplinary School (Wednesday – Friday). The final program will be shared from the beginning of December.

Lectures and faculty

Methods courses:

• Development of valuation, from theory to empirics to actions

  Pieter van Beukering, VU Amsterdam

• Plural valuation: going beyond monetary values

  Marije Schaafsma, VU Amsterdam

   

• Using valuation methods for natural capital
  Mark Koetse, VU Amsterdam
   

• Quantifying and modelling natural capital
  Bart de Knegt, Wageningen University and Research
   

• Spatial aspects in valuation
  Georges Farina, VU Amsterdam
  Mark Koetse, VU Amsterdam
  Marije Schaafsma, VU Amsterdam
   

• Policy Evaluation, SCBA and boundaries
  Sandra Rousseau, KU Leuven
   

• Investment evaluation: real options theory (with exercise)
  Tine Compernolle, University of Antwerp
  Kris Welkenhuysen, Geological Survey of Belgium

Bridging academia and industry/policy:

• The role of values in decision making

  Luke Brander, VU Amsterdam
   

• Natural Capital Accounting in the Netherlands
  Sjoerd Schenau, Statistics Netherlands
   

• Applications of SCBA and biodiversity valuation
  Frits Bos, CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis
   

• Bridging geoscience and policy
  Serge Van Gessel, TNO

School Organising and Scientific Committees

The EAERE Interdisciplinary Winter School 2025 & 2026 is jointly organized and hosted by the Institute for Environmental Studies of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and the Environmental Economics Research Team of the University of Antwerp on behalf of the EAERE (European Asssociation of Environmental and Resource Economics).

Coordination:

• Wouter Botzen (IVM - VU Amsterdam)
• Steven Van Passel (EnvEcon - University of Antwerp)

Scientific Committee:

• Tine Compernolle (EnvEcon – University of Antwerp)
• Jan Brusselaers (IVM – VU Amsterdam)
• Marije Schaafsma (IVM – VU Amsterdam)
• Mark Koetse (IVM – VU Amsterdam)
• Philippe Nimmegeers (EnvEcon – University of Antwerp)

How to apply

The Interdisciplinary School is targeted to doctoral and young post-doctoral students. The number of students is limited to 25. Selection will be based on submitted abstracts and CV. Abstracts should link to the annual theme covered. No preconditions are set on the interdisciplinarity of the paper yet.

In order to apply please send the following mandatory documentation as a single .pdf file to jan.brusselaers@vu.nl:

• Application form (visit the School's website for the download);
• Curriculum Vitae including personal details (First & Family name, date of birth, gender, nationality), contact details (e-mail, affiliation, address, telephone number), interdisciplinary school application details (title of paper, name of the supervisor, start PhD studies, planned completion of PhD studies);

• First draft of paper to be presented. We will both consider full papers and extended abstracts;

• Letter of recommendation of supervisor.

The deadline for applications is November 3, 2025.

Participation fee

The cost of participation is EUR 420 for the selected participants. 
This includes the following services:

• Accommodation in double rooms with other Interdisciplinary School participants for January 25-30, 2026;

• Breakfeasts, lunches, welcome reception, welcome and farewell dinner;

• Course material;
• Participation diploma and certificate.

Detailed information will be provided at the time of selection.

Regulation

• Participation is restricted to 2026 EAERE members. Information on how to become a EAERE member is available on the EAERE website. The 2026 membership campaign will be launched in November.
• Incomplete or late applications will not be considered.
• Presentation of your submitted paper is conditional on acceptance to the Interdisciplinary School.
• All accepted applicants must attend the Interdisciplinary School for its entire duration.
• All accepted applicants will be required to pay a participation fee.
• Accepted applicants who do not respect the stated deadlines will not be admitted.
• As the School will be conducted in English, applicants should have an adequate working knowledge of that language.

Important dates

• November 3: End of the application period
• November 17: Notification of selected participants/start of registration
• November 28: Registration deadline
• December 22: Deadline for submission of full papers
• January 26-30: Interdisciplinary School

Additional information

Please visit the Interdisciplinary School's web page for more information. For any additional questions, please contact jan.brusselaers@vu.nl.

School's web page