Dates: 18–23 May 2026
Event organised by: Center for Migration and Societal Change, Eurac Research
Event location: The PhD school will take place at Center for Migration and Societal Change, Eurac Research in Bolzano/Bozen, Italy
Deadline for application submissions: 10 November 2025
Academic coordinators: Verena Wisthaler, Head, Center for Migration and Societal Change, Eurac Research, Johanna Mitterhofer, Senior Researcher, Center for Migration and Societal Change, Eurac Research, and Sophia Schönthaler, Researcher, Center for Migration and Societal Change, Eurac Research
Call for Applications
The 2026 IMISCOE PhD School invites applications from doctoral researchers to explore international migration dynamics beyond the urban context and shed light on the nexus between space and place. A significant amount of migration happens outside urban centers, in and out of rural and remote contexts, hinterlands, and border areas. The space outside the urban centers is multiple and heterogeneous, ranging from politically and/or economically peripheral and marginal places, characterized by low population density, less dense infrastructure, and a focus on close-knit communities to areas which are geographically peripheral yet economically advanced, with great innovative potential. Peripheral locations worldwide experience unique yet very diverse challenges and opportunities in migration governance, inclusion, and socio-demographic transformations.
This PhD School critically reflects on the notion of periphery and its implications for migration dynamics. It will cover theoretical, empirical and practical approaches to migration beyond urban centers. Lectures and seminars by top migration scholars will be complemented by interactive role plays and hands-on workshops. This IMISCOE PhD School also aims to provide not only interdisciplinary scientific excellence in teaching and training, but also a space for peer-to-peer interactions, exchanges, learning and networking. We recognize that access to academic training is shaped by structural inequalities, and we are committed to fostering an inclusive and equitable learning environment. This PhD School aims to create a space where diverse voices, experiences, and perspectives are not only welcomed but actively valued.
The event is hosted by the Center for Migration and Societal Change at Eurac Research (Bolzano/Bozen, South Tyrol, Italy) which brings together an interdisciplinary team of scholars dedicated to studying migration, diversity, and societal change from multiple perspectives, including political science, sociology, anthropology, and linguistics. The PhD School’s setting in the historically multilingual and multicultural, and predominantly rural and mountainous region of South Tyrol provides the ideal context for this event. A field trip organised in collaboration with local NGOs and practitioners in the fields of rural migration governance, refugees and migrant inclusion will provide participants with the opportunity to go beyond academia, learn from, and engage with, practitioners and activists in rural South Tyrol.
Thematic Focus
The 2026 IMISCOE PhD School “Peripheries in Motion: Migration and Migrant Inclusion beyond the Urban Spheres” will explore international migration dynamics beyond the urban context and shed light on the nexus between space, place, and migration. The scholarship on the “local turn in migration studies” has already highlighted the importance of the local level for immigrant integration and, in doing so, cities have been the primary focus of attention. Ranging from super-diverse metropoles to small or medium-sized towns, the complexities of migration policies and practices in urban areas have thus been well documented. Nevertheless, a significant amount of migration happens outside urban centers, in and out of rural and remote contexts, hinterlands, and border areas. In this context, theorising core–periphery relations in migration research becomes increasingly vital. As migration flows diversify, so too does the role of peripheries, which often act as dynamic intermediaries in global and regional migration systems. Peripheralisation can be understood not as a static condition but as an ongoing process—one that can involve marginalisation but also create opportunities for subversion, innovation, and alternative forms of belonging. Rurality, as a key form of peripherality, brings its own demographic, economic, and political specificities, often marked by labour shortages, aging or leaving populations, and restrictive infrastructures that influence both migrants’ experiences and local responses. Moreover, the relationships between different peripheral areas—such as rural-to-rural migration or translocal networks across borderlands—challenge simplistic center–periphery dichotomies. Peripheries, far from being mere passive recipients of policy or migration flows, emerge as important thinking spaces—offering critical insights "from the margins" that can reshape mainstream understandings of migration, integration, and place-making.
The PhD School addresses the complex intersections of place, governance, identity, economy, and mobility in peripheral regions through six major themes:
- Theorizing the Peripheries in Migration Studies
- Peripheral Migration Governance in a comparative and global perspective
- Demographic Change and Community Revitalization
- Labour, Economy, and Innovation in the Periphery
- Intersectionality and Belonging in Peripheral Areas
- Climate Change, Environmental Crisis, and “Left-Behindedness”
The Program
Join a unique summer school that combines academic depth with hands-on engagement, open dialogue, and creative formats:
- Interactive Lectures & Discussions: Short expert inputs followed by in-depth discussions, encouraging active student–expert interaction.
- Fieldtrips & Walk & Talk Sessions: On-site visits and informal walks with policy-makers, activists, and local stakeholders to connect theory with practice.
- Future Lab: A collaborative space to co-create innovative ideas and strategies for the future with peers and invited guests.
- Science Slam (voluntary): Students present their research in a fun, engaging way to their peers and a non-expert audience—boosting public communication skills and peer learning.
This summer school is more than just lectures—it's a space to explore, connect, and co-create change.
The full program will be made available here soon, once experts have confirmed their participation.
Who Should Apply?
The school welcomes PhD researchers whose work relates to migration and mobility beyond urban contexts. We aim to select max. 30 participants from various disciplines, nationalities, academic institutions and career stages. We particularly encourage applications from scholars from underrepresented backgrounds and institutions. We are committed to making the PhD School accessible to all participants. If you have specific accessibility needs or require accommodations (e.g., related to disability, caregiving responsibilities, or other circumstances), please let us know in the application form. We will do our best to provide the necessary support to ensure your full and meaningful participation.
Fees & Scholarships
We offer a limited number of scholarships for those who require financial assistance. This includes reduced tuition fees, tuition fee waivers or travel and accommodation grants. If this applies to you, please inform us about specific financial barriers to your participation in the application form.
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Tuition fees |
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|---|---|
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For students from IMISCOE Member Institutes in EU/OECD countries |
320€ |
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For students from IMISCOE Member Institutes in non-EU/non-OECD countries |
150€ |
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For students from non-IMISCOE institutions in EU/OECD countries |
420€ |
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For students from non-IMISCOE institutions in non-EU/OECD countries |
220€ |
Lunches and coffee breaks will be provided.
Accommodation
We will reserve double rooms at the Kolping Hostel in the center of Bolzano at a cost of approximately 70€/night/person (incl. breakfast).
How to Apply
Submit the following documents via this link:
- CV (To support our commitment to diversity and inclusion, applicants may optionally share information about their backgrounds.)
- Abstract of your PhD project (max. 400 words)
- How does your PhD resonate with one or more of the six themes (Peripheral Migration Governance, Demographic Change and Community Revitalization, Belonging, Identity, and Social Inclusion, Climate Change, Environmental Crisis, and Indigenous Perspectives, Labour, Economy, and Innovation in the Periphery) of the PhD School (max. 150 words)
- If you apply for the bursary, please explain why you need financial support (max. 150 words). Priority for bursaries will be given to applicants from under-resourced institutions, non-OECD countries, and those facing systemic barriers to academic participation, such as racial or ethnic discrimination, gender inequality, disability-related exclusion, limited access to research funding, visa restrictions, or political instability in their home countries.
Find our more about the event and submit your applications here: https://www.eurac.edu/en/institutes-centers/center-for-migration-and-societal-change/pages/imiscoe-phd-summer-school-2026
Application Deadline: 10 November 2025
Notification of Acceptance: 5 December 2025
For any questions or queries, please contact:
