This course explores soil as an active, yet often overlooked, component of the Earth system, raising questions of climate change. It introduces the carbon and nitrogen cycles in soils and examines why there are debates about whether soils reduce or intensify greenhouse gas emissions under future climate conditions.

The course focuses on soil formation, weathering, degradation, microbial-driven nutrient cycling, and plant-microbe interactions. Participants examine why small-scale processes can lead to large uncertainties in climate predictions. It also addresses how agriculture, forestry, and land use change alter soil functioning and raise open questions about carbon sequestration, soil health, and long-term sustainability.

Participants engage through short lectures, debates, guided discussions, and practical experiments. Hands-on activities — such as soil texture analysis, water infiltration measurements, and rhizosphere comparisons — allow participants to test ideas and interpret real data. Students are expected to prepare a presentation in pairs before the academy. They can choose from preselected topics based on a scientific paper or are also welcome to present on a topic of their choice. Creative presentations are encouraged; the best one is awarded!

This course is recommended for participants who have a basic knowledge of biology and chemistry or a strong interest in environmental sciences; however, there are no formal prerequisites. Basic understanding of English is expected; there is plenty of space for learning, practicing, and improving during the course. Ultimately, this is also what academia is all about.

By the end of the course, participants gain a systems-level understanding of how soils respond to environmental change and why decisions made at the land surface can shape climate processes far beyond the ground beneath our feet.