From August 24 to 28, 2026, Toulouse hosted the first international interdisciplinary summer school organized by EUR UNITEID —the University of Toulouse Graduate School of Emerging Infectious Diseases—dedicated to vector-borne emerging infectious diseases and zoonoses, using a «One Health» approach.
This week brought together undergraduate and graduate students from various research universities (EURs), particularly in Paris and Lyon, as well as international participants from Spain, Poland, and Cameroon.
This diversity of profiles and backgrounds fostered interdisciplinary dialogue and allowed for a cross-disciplinary perspective on issues related to emerging infectious diseases.
The program combined scientific lectures, thematic workshops, interdisciplinary discussions, and group work, including sessions focused on epidemiology and modeling, public health, vector control, arboviral diseases, and issues related to the «One Health» approach .”.
Another unique feature of the summer school was its educational approach based on scenario-based exercises. Divided into multidisciplinary teams, the participants were placed in fictional scenarios inspired by various emerging infectious disease events that could occur in Occitanie. Based on these scenarios, they had to collectively consider how the various stakeholders could organize themselves and respond to such a situation—in the short, medium, and long term—by applying the principles of the «One Health» approach.
The week concluded with presentations of the various groups’ work and a group discussion, which provided an opportunity to compare approaches and highlight the importance of coordination across disciplines and among stakeholders in addressing emerging infectious diseases.
This first edition thus demonstrated the value of interdisciplinary training in better understanding, anticipating, and preparing for the challenges posed by emerging infectious diseases.