Beyond Borders: Representations, Perceptions and Lines of Passage, ACRONYM Summer School 2025 at Corsica
From 6 to 11 July 2025, the STARESO Research Station in Calvi, Corsica, hosted the third edition of the ACRONYM project’s interdisciplinary summer school titled Beyond Borders: Representations, Perceptions and Lines of Passage. This enriching ACRONYM project event brought together leading scholars, experts, and students to engage deeply for in-depth discussions on migration, asylum, borders, and the narratives that shape both public perception and policy.
The program opened with remarks by François Gemenne, whose keynote traced the history and perception of migration, and unpacked its drivers, including conflict, economic inequalities, and climate change. His talk laid the foundation for the week’s reflections on how mobility intersects with not only global and local crises, but other diverse factors as well. Followed by a compelling panel featuring Clarissa Tabosa (Comenius University Bratislava), Başak Yavçan (Migration Policy Group), and Dina Ionesco (UNHCR), the discussion delved into the persistent gap between migration research and policy, emphasizing the invisibility of climate-displaced persons in legal frameworks and limitations of current policy responses. Afterwards, the first roundtable discussion on the topic “Representations of Borders and Realities,” bringing together François Gemenne, Başak Yavçan, Dina Ionesco, and Lucie Bacon (Migrinter) further explored the border control, national identity, emotions, and the lived experiences of migrants. Lucie Bacon’s presentation on the cartographic representation of migration journeys offered a striking visual and analytical representation of how migratory paths are framed, providing a natural lead-in to a screening and discussion with consultant Charles Autheman on the poignant documentary Number 387. The Watchmen. This documentary, which traces efforts to identify drowned migrants in the Mediterranean, set the stage for Bianca Benvenuti (SOS Méditerranée) to highlight the role of NGOs in rescue and advocacy in Europe.
The second roundtable on “Media, Polarization, and Perceptions,” chaired by Katarína Cséfalvayová, included contributions from Martin Fedor (ICE) and Névyne Zeineldin (Liège University) presenting our ACRONYM research, complemented by the Father Livio Pegoraro and his views and perceptions on migration and asylum in Europe. Their discussion underscored how religious, political, and cultural factors shape migration discourse. Later, Tania Racho (Désinfox-Migrations) and Charles Autheman expanded on the role of media framing and misinformation, emphasizing how narratives influence both public opinion and political responses.
The cultural dimension of migration was addressed in the session “Art and Politics: Shaping Narratives, Influencing Change,” chaired by Anneliese Depoux. Olivier Bedoin (Palais de la Porte Dorée – Museum of History of Immigration) explored how institutions curate historical memory, while Dina Ionesco highlighted how art fosters empathy and accessibility in migration debates. Together, these discussions illustrated how cultural spaces humanize migration experiences and bridge the gap between academic knowledge and public engagement.
Hands-on activities were also central to the summer school. A creative writing workshop, led by Autheman, invited participants to use storytelling as both reflection and resistance, while a policy brief session with Tabosa, Yavçan, and Julia Blocher (Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research) guided students in translating complex migration challenges into actionable policy recommendations. Participants also presented their own research, receiving valuable feedback from faculty and peers in a supportive, interdisciplinary setting.
The week concluded with a walk through Calvi and a farewell dinner. More than just an academic gathering, the summer school fostered enduring intellectual and personal connections. Participants critically engaged with the discrepancies between research, lived experiences, and policy-making, while also reaffirming the importance of inclusive, interdisciplinary, and ethically grounded approaches to the pressing issues of migration and asylum.
The 2025 edition of the ACRONYM summer school not only deepened knowledge but also sparked new collaborations. As participants departed STARESO Research station and Corsica, they carried with them fresh insights, critical questions, and a shared ambition to shape the future of migration and asylum research.
