WHEN 12-17 July 2026 (one week: from Sunday evening to Friday morning).

WHERE San Vito di Cadore (University of Padua, Centro Studi per l'Ambiente Alpino).

COORDINATORS

Andrea Pettrachin, Matteo Bassoli & Laura Lo Presti. The School is organized by the Department of Political Science, Law and International Studies of the University of Padua, with the support of the Department of Historical and Geographical Sciences and the Ancient World (University of Padua), EURAC, the University of Liege, the University of Birmingham and the University of Neuchâtel.

DESCRIPTION

The Summer School The Politics of Migration is an international residential educational initiative promoted by the University of Padua. It aims to offer critical and interdisciplinary insights into contemporary migration politics. Within the evolving landscape of complementary academic offerings, it stands out as the first Summer School specifically designed for master’s students (and advanced undergraduate students) focused on migration policy. The School seeks to create a stimulating environment for learning, exchange, and the development of academic and professional skills in the fields of migration, public policy, and international relations.

The program will take place over five intensive days at the Centro Studi per l’Ambiente Alpino in San Vito di Cadore and will involve 21 participants. The adopted approach is Challenge-Based Learning, which encourages active student participation in solving real-world problems and formulating policy proposals. In addition to providing theoretical and analytical tools to understand migration policies at the European and global levels, the Summer School will promote the development of transversal soft skills such as teamwork, synthesis and communication, policy design, and the effective presentation of project ideas to policymakers. Career-oriented activities and interactions with non-governmental and international organizations will allow participants to explore potential professional pathways in the sector.

In detail, the School will include the following activities:

Six interactive and interdisciplinary academic sessions. The teaching content will be organized around five thematic areas: International Migration and Borders; Public Policies and Migration; Citizenship Policies and Politics; Migration and International Relations; and Policy Advocacy and Engagement. Two sessions dedicated to the development of applied competencies (applied skills sessions).

Three career planning sessions with experts working in international organizations, European institutions, and international NGOs.

Six group activities aimed at drafting and presenting policy briefs. During collaborative work sessions, students - divided into small groups- will develop a policy brief addressing a real issue in the field of migration, under the supervision of expert faculty members. Students are expected to finalize their policy brief after the conclusion of the School and submit it to obtain the certificate of participation.

A field visit and/or interactive session with local authorities and other stakeholders engaged in the field of international migration.

TARGET PARTICIPANTS Master’s students, with a maximum of 21 participants. The cohort will include 7–9 students from the University of Padua or Arqus Partner Universities and 11–13 students from other universities. The School is primarily designed for students who have ideally already attended courses on migration policy or related topics, but remains open to those without prior experience. Participants will be selected through an open call requiring the submission of a curriculum vitae and a motivation letter.

N.B.: Unipd students can upload transcripts from past semesters or courses of study and will be contacted by email at the end of March to send us updated transcripts after the end of the first semester.

APPLICATION DATES 15th November 2025 – 15th March 2026.

CREDITS 3 ECTS credits with final grade, based on evaluation of students’ engagement in the School and the final assignment to be submitted by 15 September.

ACADEMIC BOARD AND LECTURERS The sessions will be conducted by European scholars and experts in the field of migration policy. The teaching team will include members of the Academic Board as well as four external experts (practitioners) working in international organizations, European institutions, and NGOs active in the area of international migration.

The Academic Board includes the following members (TBC):

Matteo Bassoli, Associate Professor, University of Padua

Gianni d’Amato, Full Professor, University of Neuchâtel, and Director of the research center NCCR on the Move: The Migration-Mobility Nexus

Laura Lo Presti, Assistant Professor, University of Padua

Andrea Pettrachin, Assistant Professor, University of Padua

Gerasimos Tsourapas, Chair and Professor of International Relations, University of Birmingham, and Principal Investigator of an ERC project

Daniela Vintila, Associate Professor, University of Liège, and Coordinator of the IMISCOE Network and the Standing Group on Migration & Ethnicity of the European Consortium for Political Research

Verena Wisthaler, Head of the Center for Migration and Societal Change, Eurac Research

Link to application