Course description

The 22nd Migration Summer School will take place between Monday 22 June and Friday 3 July 2026 in Florence. This course offers an intensive, interdisciplinary programme focused on cutting-edge research and policy debates on the governance of international migration, asylum, human mobility, and transnationalism..

Designed for researchers and professionals working in migration-related fields, the Summer School adopts a problem-oriented and interactive approach, encouraging critical engagement with both academic research and real-world policy challenges. High-level scientific expertise is combined with extensive opportunities for participants to exchange ideas, present their own work, and reflect on their professional and career development.

Participants will benefit from a rich learning environment that includes background readings, structured debates, group work, and dedicated sessions for presenting individual research or professional projects.

The programme has a global focus and addresses the following themes through contributions from professors and researchers of the Migration Policy Centre, complemented by talks from distinguished keynote speakers:

• Asylum and refugee protection
• Attitudes towards migration
• Citizenship and integration
• Irregular migration
• Labour migration
• Migration drivers
• Migration impacts
• Migration governance

The 2026 edition will include new practice sessions in which participants will have the opportunity to work directly on a piece of their own choosing (such as a policy brief, research output, or project linked to their current work) ensuring that they can translate the contents of the Summer School into a tangible output they can use for their work.

Beyond the academic programme, the Migration Summer School provides a unique opportunity to take advantage of the research facilities of the European University Institute (including the Library) and to network with an enriching mix of postgraduate students, civil servants, officials at international organisations, representatives from NGOs and other civil society organisations, journalists, policy analysts, and teachers from around the world. You can follow the updates on Linkedin with the hashtag #MPCSummerSchool .

Information for applicants

 

This edition will take place between Monday 22 June and Friday 3 July 2026. Participants are expected to arrive in Florence on Sunday 21 June and leave on Saturday 4 July 2026.

All participants (excluding participants who are awarded a scholarship) are kindly requested to organise and cover expenses for their travel to and from Florence, as well as their local transportation in Florence.

How to apply

Applications should be made by submitting a completed form by 22:00 CET on 28 February 2026. We regret that applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered.

Applicants may only submit one application, either for a full-paying place or for a scholarship place. Scholarships are not intended for participants who can be funded by their own institutions.

Who should attend

 Successful applications to the Summer School will satisfy the following criteria:

• A relevant Master’s degree or equivalent experience;
• A strong professional and/or research background in international migration;
• An excellent working knowledge (speaking and writing) of English;
• The availability to attend the entire teaching sessions of the programme.

Researchers, civil servants, journalists, teachers, and professionals from intergovernmental and governmental agencies working in migration-related areas are warmly encouraged to apply.

Learning outcomes

- Gain a comprehensive understanding of key debates in the field of asylum and refugee protection, attitudes towards migration, citizenship and integration, irregular migration, labor migration, migration drivers, migration impacts, and migration governance.

- Analyse migration from multiple perspectives, incorporating political, economic, sociological, legal, anthropological, and practice-based approaches.

- Build a global professional network through interaction with postgraduate students, civil servants, international organization officials, NGO and civil society representatives, journalists, policy analysts, and teachers from around the world.

 

Learning methods

A central objective of the Migration Summer School is to foster a collaborative and inter-disciplinary experience for all participants. The combined insights from political, economic, sociological, legal, anthropological, and practice-based approaches to the study of migration will provide participants with a deeper understanding of one of the most complex and multifaceted phenomena affecting governments and society across the globe.

The teaching format blends the following activities:

• Daily seminars with emphasis on Q&A sessions and group exercises
• Plenary sessions with high-profile speakers
• Individual and group-based assignments
• Panels for participants to present their own research/professional projects
• A certificate of participation

Over the 10-day programme, participants will engage in approximately 60 hours of contact time, supported by a wide range of background materials, including academic readings, case studies, problem-based exercises, and short audiovisual materials. All course materials will be made available online in advance.

 

Participation modes

Scholarships

A limited number of scholarships will be funded by the Migration Policy Centre and the School of Transnational Governance (EUI) on a merit basis.

Scholarships will cover the fees, travel and accommodation and they will be awarded to outstanding candidates applying from low-income and lower-middle-income economies according to the following criteria:

• PhD students and PostDocs, early- or mid-career professionals (e.g. in politics, civil service, media and non-governmental organisations), able to demonstrate both professional experience and potential for future excellence in the policy sphere;
• Genuinely engaged individuals involved in policy issues related to migration either through registration on a PhD programme or through demonstration of substantial relevant career experience;
• Self-motivated, able to present a clear explanation of why and how the applicant will benefit from participation in the summer school;
• Fluent in written and spoken English.

Applicants may only submit one application, either for a full-paying place or for a scholarship place. Scholarships are not intended for participants who can be funded by their own institutions.

 

EU-Widening grants

Up to three grants may be awarded to outstanding candidates who are citizens of countries in the EU-Widening region.

Grant recipients will be required to pay the Summer School participation fee in advance and will receive a reimbursement at the end of the School to cover eligible expenses (travel and accommodation, upon submission of supporting documentation).

Please note: the availability of these grants and their amount are subject to the successful award of EU-Widening funding to the MPC. The outcome of the funding call is expected in early March and will be known before successful applicants are notified of the final selection. If funding is not awarded, the grants cannot be guaranteed.