The Annual Summer School on National Minorities in Border Regions

Deadline: April 30, 2024

Program Starts: August 25, 2024

Program Ends: September 01, 2024

Events

Summer & Winter Schools

Location(s)

  • Slovakia
Bratislava

Overview

Since its inaugural edition in 2011, the Annual Summer School on National Minorities has emerged as a cornerstone event hosted by the European Centre for Minority Issues. This exclusive one-week program invites scholars, Ph.D., and MA students from diverse disciplines to participate in a comprehensive training course led by international experts in minority and human rights. Each year, the Summer School unfolds beneath a captivating theme, offering an enriching blend of excursions to relevant institutions and lectures by distinguished academics. Join us in exploring the dynamic landscape of national minorities, forging connections, and gaining insights into the different aspects of diversity.

Details

Context

In the ever-evolving landscape of contemporary European society, the preservation and promotion of minority and minoritized languages have emerged as imperatives of cultural richness and diversity. The strategic shaping of language policies plays an important role in fostering linguistic vitality amid the rise of right-wing populism and nationalist tendencies. Against this backdrop, our Annual Summer School on National Minorities will convene in Bratislava, Slovakia, for an exploration of its subtopic "Voices Unheard: Challenges & Future of Minority Language Rights” to bring together students, practitioners, experts, and academics interested in this topic.

Our innovative program melds academic rigor with engaging, non-formal educational approaches and expert-led discussions, offering a learning opportunity unlike any other. Highlighting this year's schedule is a specially curated field trip to southern Slovakia's Hungarian minority area, where interactions with local communities and institutions await. From political science to anthropology, our interdisciplinary lens covers pressing issues like the evolution of language policies, the impact of national frameworks on minority languages, and the burgeoning role of digital technology in language preservation.

Topics covered

  • History and norm-setting: How have language policy and planning evolved, and what does this evolution mean for minority languages? In what ways do states succeed or fail in integrating minority and minoritized languages into their frameworks?
  • Legal framework and new developments in the EU: Can the existing legal frameworks effectively safeguard minority languages? What are the major pitfalls, and what future awaits minority languages within the EU's evolving landscape?
  • Minority language media: What mechanisms enable minority language media to flourish, and why are they important? How can these media adapt to and thrive amidst the digital revolution?
  • Minority language learning: What role do family language policies play in the survival of minority languages across generations? How can new adult speakers and language promotion strategies reinforce the position of minority languages?
  • Minority languages in the digital world: What challenges do minority languages face in the digital realm? How do automation and technology advancements affect them, and what does online communication look like for these languages?

The programme will consist of lectures, seminars and workshops given by ECMI research staff and expert guest lecturers, including:

  • Nicole Dołowy-Rybińska (Polish Academy of Sciences)
  • Elin Haf Gruffydd Jones (University of Wales Trinity Saint David)
  • James Hawkey (University of Bristol)
  • Helen Kelly Holmes (University of Limerick)
  • Petra Lea Láncos (Pázmány Péter Catholic University, Budapest)
  • Leigh Oakes (Queen Mary University of London)
  • Mirjam Vellinga (Afûk)
  • Ruth Kircher (ECMI)
  • Kyriaki Topidi (ECMI)
  • and more to be announced.

Planned activities

The programme will combine traditional and non-formal educational methods, interactive sessions and networking activities and will thus inspire the participants to engage with the topics of the course critically and from different perspectives and disciplinary approaches. 

Our schedule will include:

  • Lectures and seminars by experts in the field of minority languages and language policy & planning.
  • Interactive workshops, world cafés, and discussion sessions for immersive learning experiences.
  • Exclusive networking with local stakeholders, enhancing practical understanding through real-world examples.
  • A study trip to explore the Hungarian minority region.
  • An array of social events to enhance the learning experience and foster connections.

ECMI Mission

ECMI sees human diversity as a European heritage and cultural pluralism as a great asset. Aiming to facilitate respect for diversity in all aspects of society, ECMI is committed to work for the improvement of the situation of Europe’s minorities through heightened awareness of minority rights and minority issues among all relevant actors. Realizing the immense scope of societal and global challenges of the 21st Century, ECMI’s specific purpose is to provide actors with new knowledge and tool-kits that empower and equip them to mitigate differences and exchange views through constructive dialogue about how to build a peaceful and diverse Europe.

Drawing on the synergy between standards, research and action, the European Centre for Minority Issues (ECMI) is Europe’s leading institution to implement the roadmap for minority protection and empowerment. The ECMI is based in the German-Danish border area and occupies an historic building in the centre of Flensburg. It conducts practice and policy-oriented research, provides information and documentation, and offers advisory services concerning minority-majority relations in Europe.

The ECMI was founded in 1996 by the governments of Denmark, Germany and Schleswig-Holstein. It is an independent and inter-disciplinary institution which draws upon an international core staff, supplemented by a number of non-resident Senior Research Associates from all over Europe and beyond. The Centre also maintains active relations with other academic institutions and NGOs involved in conflict resolution and inter-ethnic relations and engages in collaborative projects in these fields.

Opportunity is About


Eligibility

Candidates should be from:


Description of Ideal Candidate

Eligibility and application procedures

The Summer School team aims to select a total number of 25 junior scholars, researchers or practitioners, having the following professional background:  

  • Students from relevant fields of studies (MA and PhD students), and/or 
  • Practitioners from the public sector, NGOs or mass-media.  

 Applicants are required to complete the online application form, which includes questions on general information (contact details, affiliation, practical and logistical information) and motivation.  

To finalise the submission of an application, applicants must also submit their detailed CV via email to summerschool@ecmi.de  no later than 30 April 2024. Please state "SuS24 Application_your surname" in the subject line.  

The application will not be considered for the selection process unless a CV is submitted via email.  

The selection will be performed on the basis of academic and professional achievements, as well as expressed interest in the topic. Diversity of the group in terms of professional background, gender, and country of origin will be an important factor in the selection process.  


Dates

Deadline: April 30, 2024

Program starts:

August 25, 2024

Program ends:

September 01, 2024

Program Starts: August 25, 2024

Program Ends: September 01, 2024


Cost/funding for participants

Tuition fees

Applicants who submit their completed applications before the Early Bird deadline will be eligible for a reduced fee in the event that they are selected for the programme. Fees will be due to be paid in June.

The tuition fee for the Summer School 2024 is  

  • Early Bird: €250 (if applied by 31 March 2024)
  • Standard: €300 (if applied from 1 April 2024).
  • Without accommodation: €100 (Early Bird) or €150 (Standard).

The fee covers:  

  • The week-long programme of lectures and workshops.
  • All reading materials before and during the Summer School.
  • Accommodation (including breakfast)  in shared twin-bed rooms from 24 August (Saturday) - 1 September 2024 (Sunday).
  • Lunches and light refreshments for seven days of the Summer School, plus a closing dinner.
  • A field trip to the Slovak-Hungarian border region.
  • Participation in all additional Summer School activities (city tour, social activities, visits to museums/exhibition).

Travel costs, as well as visa and health/travel insurance costs will not be reimbursed.  

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