Workshop Introduction

In an era of rapid urbanization and intensifying ecological pressure, societies around the world face a difficult question: how can development improve people’s lives without pushing the planet beyond its ecological limits? Doughnut Economics offers a useful framework for addressing this challenge. By bringing human well-being and planetary boundaries into the same analytical picture, it highlights that sustainable development must be both socially just and ecologically safe. This framework provides a valuable lens through which to explore broader pathways towards a sustainable future.

Against this background, the 2026 "Doughnut Economics" Summer Workshop was held from July 10 to July 14 at the Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University. Organized by the Shao Qinglong Research Group of the School of Ecology under the EU Jean Monnet Project (ERASMUS-JMO-2025-MODULE, 101234644 — DoughEU). The workshop selected 15 PhD candidates, masters and undergraduates from 109 applications, include students from Sun Yat-sen University, Nanjing University, Lanzhou University, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology in China, as well as oversea students from Chicago University, UC Berkeley, Cornell University, and Georgia Institute of Technology. Through lectures, case discussions, group presentations, field visits, and public engagement, the workshop aimed to help participants understand the theoretical foundations of Doughnut Economics and explore how the framework can be applied to real urban contexts.

The workshop began on July 10 with registration, orientation, and an opening gathering. Participants from different backgrounds introduced themselves, got to know one another, and made new friends, laying the foundation for later discussion and collaboration.

On July 11, the program moved into theoretical learning. Participants first gained a more comprehensive overview of the background, core concepts, and development of Doughnut Economics. The program then moved to three focused topics: learning from the Shenzhen and Hong Kong cases, exploring Doughnut-based accounting and assessment, and examining how the framework has been applied through case studies that was presented from Dr. Shuo Gao from University of Science and Technology of China and Oxford University. Together, these sessions helped participants connect the general theory with concrete methods and real-world practice.

On July 12, the focus shifted from theory to wider urban experience. Through examples such as Amsterdam, Barcelona, Oxfordshire, and other cities and regions, participants examined how Doughnut Economics has been used in local governance, community action, policy design, and public participation. The day also included personal presentations, allowing participants to combine their own academic specialties with Doughnut Economics to explore future research potential. This part of the workshop was important because it showed that Doughnut Economics is not a fixed formula, but a flexible tool that must be adapted to different institutional, social, and ecological contexts.

On July 13, the workshop moved beyond the classroom and into the city. The visit to BYD’s global headquarters gave participants a concrete example of green manufacturing, technological innovation, and corporate responses to ecological constraints. The public outreach activity at Shenzhen Book City then asked participants to explain Doughnut Economics in accessible language and listen to citizens' views on green lifestyles, public services, urban space, and environmental quality. These activities were designed to connect academic discussion with real-world observation and public communication, showing that sustainability is not only a research topic but also a social conversation.

On July 14, the workshop concluded and participants departed. The program provided a concise but meaningful introduction to Doughnut Economics, connecting key concepts with practical cases and discussion.

Overall, this series begins with the workshop as a starting point for a broader discussion on planetary and urban sustainability. The following articles will further introduce details of the program. Together, we aim to show how the Doughnut framework can help us ask more integrated questions about cities, development, social well-being, and ecological responsibility.