The Advancing Cooperation on Migration and Asylum (ACRONYM) project, funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe programme, announced a call for applications for the international summer school entitled Central and Eastern European migration and asylum policies: understanding temporary protection, shaping perceptions, and fostering inclusivity.

The ACRONYM project is implemented by three European partners, the Institute for Central Europe (Slovakia), the University of Liège (Belgium), and the Université Paris Cité (France). The summer school will be held in Bratislava, Slovakia, from 23 - 28 June 2024.

Since February 2022, more than 4.2 million Ukrainians have sought temporary protection within the European Union, with a significant portion relocating to or transiting through Eastern and Central European nations. This migration influx has spurred unprecedented responses, including through provision of direct humanitarian aid, emergency civil protection assistance, and bolstered border support. The European Union activated the Temporary Protection Directive for the first time, establishing legal frameworks to manage the influx of people being displaced from Ukraine, which underscored the EU's steadfast commitment to solidarity and safeguarding vulnerable populations. Despite the unprecedented help provided to those in need in the Eastern and Central European states, the perception of migration and refugees generally remains stagnant. The summer school will seek to provide practical answers to the following questions through a highly stimulating and interactive programme, featuring many key experts and practitioners in the field:

• What factors have contributed to the stagnation in perception of migration and asylum despite the unprecedented assistance provided to Ukrainians in Eastern and Central European states?
• What factors contribute to this phenomenon, and what key challenges does it pose for policymaking?
• What critical research questions should be addressed in the coming years to shed light on this complex issue and future developments regarding EU and national policies?

Key features of the programme will include:

• keynote addresses by leading experts in the field;
• workshops with practitioners;
• opportunities to present and receive feedback on research;
• mentoring sessions with career and publications advice;
• social and cultural activities;
• field trip.

The summer school is open to PhD and Master’s degree students whose research focuses on or is related to migration. The call for applications is open until 12 May 2024.

Find further information here or by emailing applications@icesk.eu.