UNIC Summer Course 'Migrations – Local Consequences of Global Movements'.

The Summer Course included an online component, held from 24 August to 4 September 2026. During this part of the programme, students attended lectures delivered by Prof. Ivana Marić and Dr Jelena Kovač (University of Zagreb, Croatia), Prof. Martin de Jong (Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands), Prof. Jakko Simonen (University of Oulu, Finland), as well as Dr Julita Czernecka, Dr Marcin Gońda and Dr Przemysław Włodarczyk from the University of Łódź. 

The lectures addressed contemporary migration processes and their impact on cities and regions. The programme covered a broad range of migration-related issues, including the growing scale of cross-border migration driven by armed conflicts, natural disasters and climate change, as well as internal migration and displacement and their implications for urbanisation and urban transformation. Particular attention was paid to labour migration and its importance for European labour markets, including the challenges of brain drain and brain waste. The lectures also explored the social consequences of migration flows, such as pressure on public services, integration challenges, cultural misunderstandings, xenophobia, housing market pressures, family separation and health-related consequences for migrants and host communities. Another important topic was the evolution and future of migration policies, including the shift from more open approaches associated with the concept of Willkommenskultur towards more selective migration models aimed at attracting people with specific skills and qualifications.

The on-site part of the course focused entirely on developing students’ teamwork and practical problem-solving skills. Students were divided into international and multicultural teams, in which they analysed specific migration-related challenges faced by contemporary cities and regions, particularly post-industrial cities. Through workshops and project-based work, participants diagnosed socio-economic problems, discussed possible solutions and developed concrete actions and recommendations for local authorities and communities. Working in diverse teams helped students develop their communication, cooperation, negotiation, conflict-resolution and decision-making skills, as well as their ability to think creatively and co-create solutions under time pressure.

The students’ work resulted in projects developed by international teams, presenting diagnoses of selected migration-related challenges and proposals for concrete actions and solutions for cities and regions. The final presentations demonstrated a very high level of quality, creativity and the ability to translate complex socio-economic problems into practical and executable recommendations. The diversity of students’ experiences and perspectives was reflected in the wide range of solutions proposed. The high standard of all presentations made selecting the best projects a particularly challenging task for the jury.

The 2026 UNIC Summer Course “Migrations – Local Consequences of Global Movements” was also an excellent opportunity to establish new contacts and further develop cooperation between the University of Łódź and its European partners. It was already the third edition of the course, which stands out for its practical approach to student education and for providing participants with opportunities to apply their knowledge to real-world challenges. This year’s edition once again confirmed the value of this approach. We hope to continue our cooperation and organise another edition of the course next year.