Call for applications: B-Shapes Summer School on borders and Europe

The Summer School on Borders Shaping Perceptions of European Societies (B-SHAPES) is an exciting postgraduate programme for those interested in sharing and expanding on their knowledge of border and European studies, organized by the Institute for Minority Rights of Eurac Research in Bozen/Bolzano. The programme relates to the work of the Horizon Europe B-SHAPES project and will be held entirely in English.

The B-SHAPES Summer School is designed for postgraduate students (MA/PhD), practitioners, and others who want to upgrade their knowledge of border and European studies through an interdisciplinary approach. Applicants should have a strong command of the English language.

During the five-day programme, you will benefit from an inspiring international learning environment in Bolzano/Bozen (South Tyrol, Italy). The local area is particularly interesting for people interested in borders due to its history, location, and linguistic diversity. The programme includes lectures by international border experts, seminars on new methodological approaches to studying borders, interactive workshops and role-plays. Study visits and cultural activities complement the academic programme. Confirmed speakers include Dorte Andersen, Péter Balogh, Angelika Burtscher, Alice Engl, Martin Klatt, Jussi Laine, Caitriona Mullen, Elżbieta Opiłowska, Eeva-Kaisa Prokkola, Birte Wassenberg and others.

The B-Shapes Summer School offers free participation, shared accommodation, and lunch to all participants. Participants will need to cover their own travel to Bolzano/Bozen, as well as all other expenses.

Please apply using the following form by January 31st 2025: https://de.eu.surveymonkey.com/r/C6S6S2K

You will be informed about the selection results in February 2025. Approx. 20 participants will be accepted to the Summer School. High diversity of perspectives is essential for this school and to ensure this, the organising team reserves the right to give preference to people based on their background (academic discipline, country of origin or gender).

Please get in touch with marcus.nicolson@eurac.edu with any questions about the summer school.

“Borders Shaping Perceptions of European Societies (B-SHAPES)” is a Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Action project coordinated by the Centre of Border Region Studies at the University of Southern Denmark (SDU).

B-Shapes analyzes and assesses how borders still are a key factor in how we understand societies. In cooperation with Europeans living in border regions, we examine the role of borders through three lenses:

• Euroscepticism in border regions,
• minorities in border regions, and
• border landscapes as heritage.

Our focus on borderlands promises new insights on how borders shape perceptions of societies, but also how the story of borders can be narrated differently than from a purely national perspective.