International Summer school on Global Challenges
University of Trento
Period
July 2nd to July, 15th 2017
Location
Trento, UniTrento Dept. of Sociology and Social Research (historical building, located in the city
centre, that has hosted the first Italian faculty of sociology).
Contents
To say that contemporary states are beset by major challenges to their economic, social and
political foundations is a truism. Understanding the nature of those challenges, their sources and
possible solutions is central to understanding the contemporary world. This is especially true in
the European Union, which is having to confront questions such as migration, a rapidly changing
geo-political environment, the lingering effects of economic crisis and even the future
development of democracy. The EU is a perfect laboratory to understand the causes and
consequences of many of the global challenges in the contemporary world. This is why the
University of Trento is proud to host an international summer school on global challenges, right
from the heart of Europe.
The academic part of the Summer School will tackle issues ranging from refugees to terrorism
and from international commerce to climate change, with eight classes and the presence of
international lecturers. Debate will be encouraged by addressing specific case studies on the issues
presented in class. Participants who require it will also present a paper on the issues tackled during
the Summer School and will receive advice from their peers and the instructor on how write a
strong paper, both methodologically and content wise.
Participants will be introduced to the business excellences of Trentino. Meetings with the CEOs
of territory-rooted companies that have expanded globally on the market are planned (e.g Ferrari
winery and La Sportiva sport equipment, to be confirmed). Other experiences of global market
competitions will be visited. Tecnoclima is a local industry recently investing on the Russian
market and challenging the impacts of the EU economic sanctions to Russia. Can a company
invest in Putin’s Russia? Located close to Trento, PoloMeccatronica is an example of business
hub. The meeting with this reality will open discussion about how to create industry-territory
relations.
The region Trentino Alto Adige has become one of the richest regions in Italy, one with highest
standards of living. The leisure part of the Summer School will bring participants to explore the
amazing landscapes of this mountain region, where Italian and German language and culture live
side by side. A daily excursion to Val di Fiemme, with its amazing Dolomites, is part of the
programme.
Participants’ background
European Studies, Political Science, Sociology, International Relations, Law, Economics,
Contemporary History (or similar)
Participation costs
Reduced fee reserved to students from UniTrento partners universities: 350 Euros. Fee for
external students: 550 Euros. Travel costs to be covered individually by participants.
Accommodation
All participants will be accommodated in single rooms at the UniTrento San Bartolameo Campus.
Workload and credits
The Summer school foresees 8 class hours per day plus preparation hours. At the end of the
summer school participants will receive an official UniTrento transcript of records certifying 8
ECTS.
Assessment
About 2 months before, participants will receive papers recommended by the lecturers in
preparation to the class activity. The participants who are already interested in one of the topics
of the Summer School will be asked to prepare a poster/presentation of the chosen topic, or of
a paper they are writing and need help with, which will then be shared during the summer school
for class discussion. The scientific tutor, in charge of organising the academic contents of the
SS, and coordinating the methodologic workshops and debates, will be constantly present in
class and will act as a mediator, also stimulating students’ participation and class
confrontation. In the light of the above, the assessment will then be based on:
class participation (everyone)
students’ posters/presentations (volunteers)
evaluation of a paper written by students on a topic discussed during the SS after its conclusion
(only for those who did not prepare a presentation/poster).
Application Deadline: April, 10th
Participants coming from UniTrento partner universities must be nominated by their home
university upon a check of their suitability (according to academic/language/motivation critteria).
External participants can apply writing directly to the managment office
(international [at] unitn.it).
All participants will be contacted by the management office and will receive indications on how
to apply online formally (ToR, proof of English proficiency and motivation letter will be
requested).
Please note: applications arriving until 18 April 2017 will also be considered.
