Course description

What communication strategies are most effective in providing accurate information and changing popular attitudes around migration?

In its 5^th edition, this executive training course develops and strengthens communication skills. The programme is based on comparative research that explains the drivers of attitudes to migrants, the psychological mechanisms activated by different communication strategies, and the development of communication strategies that can effectively appeal to those who are neither resolutely opposed to nor strongly in favour of immigration.

A key strength of this programme is the combination of theoretical principles, practical tools, and case study with the goal to stimulate discussions and provide operational instruments to improve communication, work on real-world examples, and connect academic research with the perspectives of civil society experts, journalists, practitioners, and policymakers. Through peer-learning activities and interactive exchanges, the training provides a unique, directly operational learning experience with a set of evidence-based methods to boost the effectiveness of migration communication campaigns.

This course is designed for early to mid-career professionals working on asylum and refugee protection, border management, discrimination, displacement, emigration, human trafficking, immigration, integration, social cohesion, and statelessness. We welcome applications from individuals at an advanced stage of their PhD or postdoctoral level, those working for civil society organisations, media, government agencies, international organisations, and private companies.

Learning methods

• Knowledge transfer sessions led by academics, policymakers, and practitioners with significant experience in migration communication;
• Peer-learning exchange in interactive training sessions and group work activities that are focused on the interpretation of opinion data, research, and challenges experienced by participants;
• Case studies analysis based on real-life migration campaigns and communication strategies.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this programme, the participants will be able to:

• Understand how to use data, emotions, and values to communicate with concerned citizens about migration and migration policies;
• Design communication strategies that foster social cohesion to tackle discrimination, disinformation, fake news, and hate speech;
• Incorporate insights about the drivers of attitudes towards migration and the impact of underlying factors influencing how people think and feel about migration;
• Use original tools to evaluate the effectiveness of different messages;
• Develop innovative methodologies to identify and segment the audience;
• Understand how to create broader coalitions that bring together academics, policymakers, practitioners, migrants, and refugees to create powerful messages around migration.

Who should attend

• Communication officers;
• Political consultants and advisors;
• Professionals working in international organisations and NGOs;
• Journalists;
• Politicians;
• Researchers;
• Professionals working for public authorities.

Information for applicants

• The training course will take place online over 5 afternoons (15:00 – 18:30) on 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 May 2025;
• Participants should take note that the official timings of this training are taking place on Central European Summer Time (CEST) (Italian time) so time differences might apply when joining from different time zones;
• The programme will include approximately 15 hours of in-session training;
• Participants will be enrolled to our Virtual Learning Environment (Brightspace) to access the course materials. Some pre-training readings will be necessary;
• Accepted participants who successfully complete the training course will receive a Certificate of Attendance from the Florence School of Transnational Governance.