The Summer School - European Centre for Minority Issues (ECMI)

The participants of the Summer School 2023 sitting by the Danube while listening to the lecturer during an outside lecture in Novi Sad.

Since its inaugural edition in 2011, the Annual Summer School on National Minorities has emerged as a cornerstone event hosted by the European Centre for Minority Issues. This exclusive one-week program invites scholars, Ph.D., and MA students from diverse disciplines to participate in a comprehensive training course led by international experts in minority and human rights. Each year, the Summer School unfolds beneath a captivating theme, offering an enriching blend of excursions to relevant institutions and lectures by distinguished academics. Join us in exploring the dynamic landscape of national minorities, forging connections, and gaining insights into the different aspects of diversity.

Summer School 2026

Europe’s Non-Kin-State Minorities: Profiles and Realities

This Summer School aims to provide a platform for stock-taking of non-kin-state minorities (NKSM) of various categories, examining their relations with host states, and the challenges they face in realising their linguistic, socio-economic, and political rights in the absence of an external kin-state. It will bring together young academics, scholars, and minority practitioners, offering a safe, intellectually nurturing space for networking and discussing the realities and profiles of NKSM in Europe.

While kin-state politics have garnered significant scholarly and political attention (including the 2025 Summer School organised by the ECMI and the Coppieters Foundation), numerous minority communities in Europe do not benefit from the backing that kin-states provide and vary in size, territorial concentration, and legal standing. NKSM groups include territorially organised minorities (e.g. Catalans, Basques, and Corsicans), territorially concentrated but minoritised groups (West Frisians), small and endangered minorities (Sorbs and North Frisians), dispersed communities (Roma and Sinti), and Indigenous peoples (Saami and Greenlanders).

This Summer School will examine these five types of NKSM, allowing for a comparative assessment of how linguistic vitality, social cohesion, access to education, and relations with the state are shaped in the absence of a kin-state. Among other topics, Summer School participants will learn about the role of Europeanisation and international organisations in advancing the rights of NKSM.

Conceptual foundations of the categorisation of NKSM
The role of international organisations in protecting the rights of NKSM
Linguistic, cultural, political, and socio-economic rights of NKSM
Lived experiences of NKSM and their shared and specific challenges.

Summer School lecturers and speakers include Prof. Dr Vello Pettai (ECMI), Dr Ljubica Djordjević (ECMI), Dr Ruth Kircher (ECMI), Dr James Hawkey (University of Bristol), Mirjam Vellinga (Afûk), Bahne Bahnsen (FUEN), Sonja Wolf (Schleswig-Holstein State Chancellery) and many others.

The programme will combine traditional and non-formal educational methods, interactive sessions, and networking activities, and will encourage participants to engage critically with the course topics from different perspectives and disciplinary approaches.

Our schedule will include:

Lectures and seminars by experts in the field of minority rights and minority issues
Interactive workshops, panel discussions, and group work for immersive learning experiences
Exclusive networking opportunities with local stakeholders, enhancing practical understanding through real-world examples
A field visit to the island of Föhr, home to a significant North Frisian community
An array of social events to enhance the learning experience and foster connections.

The Summer School team aims to select a total number of 25 junior scholars, researchers or practitioners, having the following professional background:

Students from relevant fields of study (MA and PhD students), and/or
Practitioners from the public sector, NGOs, and mass media.

Applicants are required to submit a completed online application form, which includes questions on general information (contact details, affiliation, practical and logistical information) and motivation. To finalise the submission of an application, applicants must also submit their detailed CV via email to summerschool@ecmi.de no later than 10 May 2026. Please state "SuS26 Application_Your surname" in the subject line.

The selection will be based on academic and professional achievements, as well as expressed interest in the topic. Diversity within the group, in terms of professional background, gender, and country of origin, will be an important factor in the selection process.

Early Bird: €350 (if applied by 10 April 2026)
Standard: €400 (if applied from 11 April 2026).

The fee covers:

The programme of lectures and workshops
All reading materials before and during the Summer School
Accommodation (including breakfast) in either twin rooms with a private bathroom or triple rooms with a shared bathroom from 23 August (Sunday) to 29 August (Saturday). Room allocation will be made on a first-come, first-served basis
Lunches and light refreshments between 24 and 28 August, plus a closing dinner
A field trip to the island of Föhr
Participation in all additional Summer School activities (city tour, social activities, and visits to museums and exhibitions).

For cancellations until 30 June 2026, 80% of the tuition fee will be refunded. For cancellations after 30 June 2026, no refund will be issued.

This Summer School is a joint initiative of the ECMI and Coppieters Foundation and hosted by the Danish Central Library for Southern Schleswig in Flensburg.