CALL FOR APPLICATIONS

MATILDE Summer School

"International Migration in Remote Places"

Organised by: MATILDE Research Partners led by the University of Eastern Finland

Date: June 13-17, 2022

Submissions Deadline: April 15, 2022 (GMT)

Venue: Polo Logistico Protezione Civile “Valle di Susa” – Croce Rossa Italiana Via Cascina del Gallo, 5, 10053 Bussoleno, (Turin), Italy

https://matilde-migration.eu/summer-school/

MATILDE, a 3-year project funded by EU Horizon 2020 facility, focuses on the impact of migration on the local development of remote places of Europe. The Summer School, organised by the project, aims to provide participants with interdisciplinary knowledge on the social and economic impacts of migration, with a special focus on their interactions with territorial inequalities, sustainable development, and spatial justice. It conveys evidence and results that point to the need to think locally and avoid generalisations in elaborating new approaches to the governance of migration and migrant inclusion.

The summer school seeks to strengthen the link between research, teaching, and learning, and guide the participants to develop their argumentation and critical analytical thinking. This is expected to allow the participants to enhance their reflective learning outcomes as they will not only benefit directly from the most up-to-date research but also have an opportunity to bring a contribution to it and take part in the co-production of knowledge.

The MATILDE International Summer School 2022 will be focusing on the discussions around international migration and its challenges and opportunities in remote places. The Summer School will consist of four days of lectures, discussions, and field excursions led by a distinguished international faculty. The MATILDE Summer School will blend theoretical and empirical discussions along with case-studies participatory action research from around Europe.

The Summer School will take place in Bussoleno, a commune approximately 45 kilometers west of Turin in the foothills of the Susa Valley, Italy. Already an area of immigration from southern Italy after World War II thanks to the jobs offered by the railway and some local businesses, today Bussoleno is seeking a new economic and social vocation. Its territory, bordering France, is crossed by the new high-speed railway line (TAV) Turin-Lyon, against which a large part of the valley’s population has been mobilised over the years, for fear of the negative environmental effects. In recent years, the municipality has received significant flows of foreign immigration, especially from North Africa and Eastern Europe, attracted by the low cost of housing; furthermore, Bussoleno is on the route of irregular migration to France, via the surrounding Alpine passes: the town hosts initiatives to support migrants in transit, starting with the local Red Cross centre.

Who can apply?

The Summer School has been designed for MA and Ph.D. students/graduates as well as practitioners (NGOs members, local administrators, journalists, etc.) interested in regional development, rural and mountain areas renaissance, and international/internal migration towards these areas. It is designed to create awareness among the participants regarding the value of remote, rural, and mountainous places that are believed to be neglected over the last few decades at European and national levels. At the same time, the school intends to provide conceptual/methodological tools for a better understanding of the nexus between migration and local development at the local level, focusing on both migration impact assessment and an action-research approach.

Applications from all over Europe are encouraged. Participants will be accommodated in Bussoleno, at the Polo Logistico Protezione Civile “Valle di Susa”. For all students, accommodation and meal expenses will be covered by the organizers. The summer school seminars and readings will be delivered by the members of the MATILDE Research team in EnglishA certificate will be provided to each participant upon successful completion of the program. Transportation costs have to be covered by the applicants themselves.

 Tentative Program

If you have any further queries about scientific matters, please contact Professor Ayhan Kaya (ayhan.kaya@bilgi.edu.tr), or Senior Researcher Andrea Membretti (andrea.membretti@uef.fi).

To apply to the MATILDE Summer School, please send the following via email to Alicja Fajfer (alicja.fajfer@uef.fi) with the subject line “Application for the MATILDE Summer School of 2022” by midnight GMT on Friday, 15 April 2022:

  • Statement of Purpose
  • A current résumé
  • Contact details of two referees (institutional address and e-mail)