The 2025 PSIRU Summer School confirmed that research, when rooted in organising, is a powerful tool for trade union and movement action. Over six intensive days, participants from 22 countries built practical skills in areas such as strategic corporate research, private equity analysis, financing public services, decarbonisation under public ownership, surveys, interviews, data visualisation, and media engagement.

Just as importantly, the programme showed the value of collective learning: participants repeatedly highlighted how working in international groups, applying methods to real campaigns, and learning from one another’s struggles made the training immediately useful. Feedback also pointed to the need for stronger integration across sessions, deeper political framing, and more continuity before and after the residential week.

The 2026 Summer School builds directly on these lessons. Participants can expect a more coherent and supported programme, with all sessions linked through a shared case study that connects corporate power, public finance, climate policy, and campaigning for public ownership. Pre-school preparation will be strengthened through an online learning hub and early group work with tutors, while post-school support will continue through an alumni network and follow-up tutorials.

The core of the programme remains hands-on and campaign-focused—learning research tools, testing them collectively, and applying them to live struggles—but with: clearer political framing tied to participants’ contexts, more time for group work and cross-regional exchange, and expanded accessibility.

In short, 2026 offers the same intensity and practical focus as 2025, but with greater integration, deeper reflection, and longer-lasting collective impact.