Knowledges at risk - Winter School

Venue: Padova

Organised by the Department of Political Sciences, Law and International Relations (UniPadova) - Next Generation Global Studies (NGGS), Department of Sociology and Social Research (UniTrento) and Scholars at Risks International Network- SAR

Call for applications

The Winter School ‘Knowledges at Risk’ addresses the many issues emerging from global dynamics that are putting at risk or promise to transform profoundly and in unexpected directions the very existence of academic knowledge, the roles and activities of higher education institutions, the lives and experiences of scholars and students.

Universities around the world are experiencing profound transformations brought about by a plurality of contradictory processes. Globalization, marketization and business-oriented management have an impact on how the educational mandate of university institutions is understood and translated into research and educational programs, often contributing to the marginalization of important disciplines, particularly the humanities and the social sciences. A strong push towards loosely defined ‘internationalization’ is leading to an increase of international agreements between higher education institutions. At the same time, a backlash against globalization - and a rise in nationalist populism across the globe along with growing anti-immigrant sentiment – are making it more difficult for scientists to conduct collaborative, international research and to share ideas, innovations and data – both with each other and with the public. In this context, the recent growth of authoritarianism and the rise of overt conflicts across the world have affected growing numbers of scholars in many regions. They are exposed to violent aggression, imprisonment, prosecution, job loss, expulsion and travel restrictions.

The Winter School is an intensive 5-day course, bringing together international scholars and students from a range of disciplines and geo-cultural background. It consists of a total of 38/40 hours of training and debate activities on the interrelated issues of: academic freedom, human rights, ownership and dissemination of knowledge, reception and integration policies for at-risk scholars and students. The WS is organised as follows:

•  Opening event: interventional conference on Knowledges at Risk: Universities promoting Academic Freedom (public event)
•  Lectures, interactive sessions, thematic seminars and/or workshops 
•  Presentations and discussions of students’ researches
•  Social gatherings

Organising Committee for UNITrento

• Dott.ssa Ester Gallo
• Prof.ssa Barbara Poggio  
• Prof. Marco Brunazzo

Eligible students
Students enrolled at the University of Trento (4 places available)

Deadline for application: 
Friday 11^th January 2019, 12.00pm.
Via email to: Dott.ssa Ester Gallo, Department of Sociology and Social Research 
ester.gallo [at] unitn.it and segreteria.srs [at] unitn.it

Certificate and Recognised Credits
The Department of Sociology and Social research will recognise 4CFU to its students. Additionally,
the organizers will provide all participants with a Certificate of Attendance.

For further information see the attached documents and send enquiries to: ester.gallo [at] unitn.it