MISOCHANGE Winter School

Period

2 weeks, from Monday 12 January to Friday 23 January 2026 with students present in Trento, PLUS a compulsory 2-hour follow-up online workshop in February 2026 (date to be confirmed), in two time slots: either 9:00 AM or 3:00 PM (both CEST).

On-Line Information Session
An on-line information session will be held on Friday 12 September 2025 at 9.00 AM (CEST), date to be confimed, during which students will have the chance to learn more about the Winter School as well as meet the academic coordinators and staff. Registration link to the meeting.

Contents 

2-week interdisciplinary Winter school for understanding, in a comparative view, the evolution of international migration.
The driving force of the of the winter school will be a challenge-based activity in which the participants will be called to reflect on how can cities foster meaningful inclusion for migrant youth. Participants will have a chance to use creative tools, such as digital/visual storytelling, video-making, photo-voicing, soundscapes, walk-along-interviews and many others. 

Lectures by international and local experts on:

• The International Refugee Regime
• Migration, Diversity, and Urban Life
• Continuities and Disruptions: The Children of Immigrants in a Changing World
• NextGen Mobilities

Workshops and group work on:

• Fieldwork on the Move: Ethnographic Perspectives on Migration
• Making Home on the Move: Migration, Belonging, and Everyday Life
• From Margins to Strategies: Gender and the Infrastructures of Belonging
• Lines, Lives, and Methods: Designing Migration Research Differently
• Dangerous Journeys, Dangerous Politics: Migration in Turbulent Times

Visits to the main local cultural institutions and events 

Participating students will: 

• Develop practical skills in locating, verifying, and analyzing information on internal migration policies
• Strengthen collaborative abilities through interdisciplinary group work and task-sharing
• Enhance public speaking and academic presentation skills, with support for those presenting research projects
• Gain hands-on research experience in real-world policy contexts
• Deepen their understanding of internal migration dynamics and innovative research approaches

International speakers 

Prof. Nicholas Demaria Harney (Dean, Faculty of Social Science – Western University, Canada)
Prof. Robert C. Smith (Cuny University)
and many others

Workload and Credits

All lectures, seminars and activities are in English.
The program includes approximately 7 hours per day of the activities described above, including visits and social-cultural programs. 
All participants will receive a certificate of attendance after satisfactory completion of the in-person part.
Participation in the online session will earn external participants an official UniTrento transcript certifying 6 ECTS.
Participation in all activities included in the program is mandatory and attendance will be tracked daily.

Participant Background

Admission reserved only to students coming from UniTrento partner universities. 
Admission will be open to a maximum of 22 international senior Bachelor’s degree students (who have finished the 2nd year) and all Master’s degree students preferably with (but not limited to) the following backgrounds: sociology, geography, anthropology, political science, social science, demography, international relations, or similar, with an interest on human mobility. 
Participants should be confident in English-language use (B2).

Application Process 

Starting from 10 September you can apply through online application. The link will be available on this page on that day.
To apply you will first be asked to create a UniTrento guest account. To do so, please see the instructions in the document "How to login to UniTrento application tool". 
All students are required to upload their CV, most recent ToR (Transcript of Records), complete identity document, English certificate and a motivation letter.
The Winter School will take place with a minimum number of 10 participants.

Deadlines

Applications are due by 15 October 2025, noon.
Up to 2 local UniTrento students will be admitted if places are still available. UniTrento students will be awarded a certificate of attendance and may have the chance to recognize part of the activity according to the rules of each study course.

Participation Costs

If you are selected and come from a University Partner of UniTrento, you will receive a fee waiver.
If you come within the Erasmus+ Programme K131 or the ICM K171 Program, you can also apply for a short-term mobility scholarship. Ask your international office for details.

UniTrento organizes and covers the costs of the social-cultural program consisting of: 

• a guided visit of the town;
• a welcome coffee and a farewell lunch;
• a one-day and a half-day outdoor activity;
• a guided visit to a museum or other cultural institutions or event.

Participants are responsible for covering the following expenses:

• All meals (including the one during the all-day excursion): approximately from 6 to 9 euros (€) in the university canteen, 15-30 € at a café or restaurant, less if you cook by yourself or with others;
• Housing: approximately 35 €/day in shared accommodation, hints to find one will be sent to prospective participants (on-campus housing is not available);
• Travel;
• Transportation expenses once you arrive at UniTrento and in the surrounding area unless you get from your host the Trentino Guest Card;
• Visa and health insurance, if needed (students living outside the European Union).

Accommodation

All participants are responsible for planning and paying for their own lodging during the School.
Details and possible housing solutions will be sent to applicants.
You are recommended to book in advance since the summer period is quite busy.

Some good reasons to apply

• Innovative approaches to teaching and research
• Lectures, seminars, group activities, workshops and debates
• Cross-disciplinary approach
• Meetings with national and international experts
• 6 ECTS credits
• Outdoor activities
• International networking and teamworking
• Social program
• Enjoy the beautiful environment of the Dolomites
• and more…

Academic Coordinators

Prof. Giuseppe Sciortino (Director, Department of Sociology - UniTrento)
Prof. Martina Cvajner (Department of Psycholgy and Cognitive Science - UniTrento)
Prof. Nicholas Demaria Harney (Dean, Faculty of Social Science – Western University, Canada)
Prof. Robert C. Smith (Cuny University)

Contacts
International Relations Division
misochange@unitn.it
Tel + 39 0461 283224