Summer School 2019

SS2019

Overview

The 2nd International Summer School on Migration and Health from a Multidisciplinary Approach took place from June 3-8, 2019, at Heimerer College in Pristina, Kosovo.

Organized by Heimerer College, ISEE-HSP, GIZ, and DIMAK, the event brought together 30 students (20 international and 10 local) alongside renowned experts across various fields.

Focused on migration’s impact on health, law, social work, governance, and education, the event combined lectures, workshops, and collaborative projects.

Participants examined topics like migration policies, integration challenges, psychosocial effects, circular migration, and more.

The Summer School encouraged scientific exchange and aimed to break down socio-cultural barriers while providing practical insights into migration-related issues.

Project Implementation

The Summer School’s objectives were largely met, with both local and international students, as well as lecturers, finding the event highly beneficial.

Proper preparation will help make future editions even more successful.

The program ran over six days, with each day dedicated to specific aims.

The agenda was followed but adjusted as necessary to ensure smooth coordination.

Goals of the International Summer School 2019

The event aimed to:

Promote scientific research and evidence-based migration policies
Disseminate knowledge through proceedings
Foster practical research projects via project-based learning
Generate ideas for future health and migration projects, focusing on circular migration
Encourage cultural interaction and break down socio-cultural barriers
Facilitate networking and group collaboration

Participants Overview

The program welcomed students from Germany, Spain, Ghana, Albania, Finland, Turkey, and Kosovo.

A mix of activities engaged participants, deepening their understanding of migration and health.

Learning Topics

The following topics were covered:

Psychosocial impact
Health and migration
Circular migration
Economy and migration
Smuggling and trafficking
Response to the migration crisis
Integration and reintegration challenges
Role of media
Public attitudes and governance

Extracurricular Activities

Students participated in research projects and developed future project ideas, which will be published to further the academic discourse on migration and health.

Cultural activities included visits to:

The Cave of Gadime
Pristina Museum
The ancient city of Prizren
These experiences enhanced the international students’ understanding and fostered networking opportunities.

Speaker Highlights

Prof. Dr. Jorg Wolstein

Professor in Pathopsychology at the University of Bamberg. A medical doctor with expertise in psychiatry and neurology, his research focuses on addiction prevention in migrants. He lectured on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Migrants, assisted by Ph.D. Cand. Arben Hysenaj.

Prof. Dr. Jorg Wolstein Professor and Dean of Clinical Psychology at University of Bamberg giving another perspective on migration- discussing about “Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and migration”.

Dr. Uwe C. Fischer

Senior Lecturer in statistics and methodology at the University of Bamberg. His research interests include health promotion and addiction prevention. He presented on Psycho-social Aspects of Drug Addiction and Migration, assisted by Ph.D. Cand. Florim Gallopeni

Dr. Uwe Fischer Senior Professor at University of Bamberg giving another perspective on migration- discussing about “Psycho-social aspects of drug addiction and migration”.

Prof. Dr. Michael Sauer

International expert committed to building Youth Red Cross structures in Kosovo. He has conducted social research in emigration and rural-urban migration, with a focus on social impact.

Prof. Dr. Michael Sauer lecturing on Labour mobility and migration policy. He started the session with the question “Have your considered yourself a migrant in your life? This allowed students to share their experiences with each other.

Prof. Dr. Dirk van den Boom

Professor of Political Science at the University of Muenster, specializing in migration policies. He lectured on Migration Policies and Return Practices in Germany and the European Context.

Prof. Dr. Dirk Van Den Boom lecturing on Migration policies and public discussion in Germany / The practice of return policies in Germany in the European context.

Mr. Petrit Beqiri

Ph.D. candidate at Martin Luther University, Germany, and lecturer at the Higher School of Applied Sciences, Munich. He specializes in migrant health and social services, presenting on Migrant Approach, Background, Dynamics, and Supportive Social and Health Services, assisted by Ph.D. Naime Brajshori.

PhD. Cand. Petrit Beqiri gave a lecture on Health and Migration: Migrant’s approach, background, dynamics and supportive social and health services, with our lecturer PhD. Mrs. Naime Brajshori.

Mrs. Sc. Fahrije Ternava

Director of the Department of Reintegration at the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Kosovo. She lectured on Integration and Reintegration Policies in Kosovo and Return Policies and Socio-Economic Reintegration of Returnees, assisted by Ph.D. Cand. Arben Hysenaj.

The last lecture of the Summer School- “Integration and reintegration policy in Kosovo”- by Director of Department of Reintegration at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Mrs. MSc. Fahrije Ternava.

Workshops

During the 2nd International Summer School, alongside regular lectures, students were engaged in workgroup projects and research. They were divided into six groups, each focusing on a specific research or project topic under the guidance of a dedicated tutor/mentor. The goal was to delve deeper into specialized areas of migration and health, producing tangible outputs in the form of research papers and project proposals.The topics covered included: