One year ago, the Center came into existence. What does your day-to-day work involve, and how has it changed from your previous experiences? Is there anything you feel uniquely able to do in this Center?

Verena Wisthaler: Being the Head of the center I am confronted on a daily basis with an enormous variety of perspectives, scholarly approaches and thematic diversity all showing the nuances of migration. This means that I am learning so much on migration every day. Being able to support individual scholars and offering them an open and interdisciplinary environment where they can connect the dots and, by discussing among each other, further develop migration scholarship, is very special to me. The newly found Center is also a strong message to the local community, and I feel a certain positive responsibility to scientifically inform the often controversial and polarized public debate.

Marta Guarda: I’m more aware of potential connections across disciplines. We look at the same or similar phenomena, but from different perspectives and research paradigms. The synergies that originate from these interdisciplinary encounters are very promising.

What’s your personal scientific highlight, and what is the most surprising and interesting insight, project or discovery you worked on this first year?

Johanna Mitterhofer: Having to defend my research on live TV! For a couple of days, my research project on the discrimination of young apprentices was headline news, and I realized how little it takes for migration research to become politicised and used for political aims.

Marzia Bona: My personal scientific highlight this year has been delving into intersectionality and decoloniality. These paradigms are both fascinating and challenging—they push us to rethink how we conduct research, question established methods and recognize the power dynamics at play. At the same time, they serve as a crucial reminder of our responsibility to pursue ethical and engaged research that truly reflects diverse perspectives and lived experiences.

South Tyrol is a diverse and multi-ethnic border region: what makes this territory so interesting for migration scholars?

Giorgia Zogu: South Tyrol is a compelling case study for migration research because it highlights the intersection of historical identity, language politics, and contemporary mobility. The region’s unique autonomy framework shapes how migration is governed and experienced, creating both opportunities and tensions. What fascinates me most is how newcomers navigate a society that is already structured around multiple linguistic and cultural identities. Their experiences challenge traditional narratives of belonging and force us to rethink integration in a context where diversity has long been institutionalized but continues to evolve.

Sophia Schönthaler: South Tyrol, as a multilingual border region with three established language groups, is a particularly fascinating research field for migration. Here, one can observe how new forms of diversity emerge and challenge or enrich existing social structures. The region offers unique insights into the interplay of migration, multilingualism, and identity.

What do you think might be the most important research topics for the Center in the next ten years?

Verena Wisthaler: For me it is important to find a balance between newly emerging topics, approaches and methods and those issues that will remain present also in the future: Access to participation in society and discrimination are still topics that remain essential for everybody in our society – no matter whether you have a migrant background or not.

Federica Romagnoli: This is a very difficult question to answer as the topic is so complex that I would say that research would be never ending. I would see a several line of research to be developed. One in relation to climate change, so migration patterns in relation of climate change consequences, diving into mobility but also immobility (meaning who could leave and who cannot), relating these aspects with vulnerability and intersectionality to fully understanding the complexity. Given the geographical position of South Tyrol, that is geographically relevant in crossing routes for migrants, which are the cascading effects (either positive or negative) of this in the region from a social, institutional and cultural perspectives.

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