The Public Services International Research Unit (PSIRU) and PSI hosted it in collaboration with Trade Unions for Energy Democracy (TUED), the Transnational Institute (TNI), the International Trade Union Federation (ITF) and the Centre for International Corporate Tax Accountability and Research (CICTAR).

During six days, 42 participants (45 % women and mostly from the Global South), including 16 grant-funded, from 22 countries took part in 25 interactive sessions delivered by 16 instructors from PSIRU, PSI, TUED and TNI. As a first pilot programme the school was held in English only.

The 2025 PSIRU Summer School confirmed that research, when rooted in organising, is a powerful tool for trade union action and organising. Over six intensive days, participants built practical skills in areas such as strategic corporate research, private equity analysis, financing public services, de-privatisation (remunicipalisation and comprehensive reclaiming of public services), decarbonisation, public ownership, union surveys and interview techniques, data visualisation, organising and media engagement.

The programme showed the value of collective learning: in their evaluations participants 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 importance of maintaining a network of PSIRU Summer School Alumni as a resource network to continue peer learning and mutual support in union and pro-public policies endeavours.

Twelve representative of PSI affiliated unions participated in the programme – nine with full-board scholarships (one via TUED) allocated through a selection process and three sponsored by their organisations.

PSI affiliates represented in the 2025 PSIRU Summer School batch included:

• Maldives Health Professionals Union

• Public Services Labor Independent Confederation (PSLINK), the Philippines

• Public Service Union of Belize

• Federația SANITAS din România, Romania

• Bibliotheca Alexandrina Solidarity Staff Union, Egypt

• The Union of State, Local Government and Public Service Employees of Armenia

• Botswana Public Employees’ Union (BPEU)

• Public Utilities Workers Union od TUC, Ghana

• Persatuan Pegawai PT PLN Indonesia Power (PP-IP), Indonesia

• Aoteraora – Public Services Association (PSA), New Zealand

• FNV Overheid, the Netherlands

• Trade Union Pro, Finland 

PSI representatives covered nine PSI subregions representing all major PSI sectors. All participants were asked to work collaboratively on a real union campaign to implement at home using the skills acquired during the summer school, to present them in front of the trainers and peers and to report on progress implementation back home.

Quotes from participants’ post course survey included:

“It wasn’t only about learning — it was about remembering why we fight for public services.” 

“For the first time, we saw how research connects directly to our collective power.” 

“Before this, research felt like something only universities could do. Now we can do it ourselves — for our members.” 

The programme will be reiterated in 2026. 

The Public Services International Research Unit (PSIRU) is a research centre based at the University of Greenwich in London, UK. PSIRU’s research spans across multiple sectors, including water, energy, waste management and the circular economy, healthcare, social care, public administration, and transport in the Global North and Global South.