Focus minorities, migration and languages

Goals:

In a multicultural European society we are constantly asked to deal with the cultures and languages of the ‘other’: diversity concerning languages, cultural aspects and religious beliefs is hence part of our European culture.
Due to South Tyrol´s history, concepts such as Heimat (fatherland), mother tongue, identity, the protection of minority rights and the economic impact of minorities have always been considered particularly important. New challenges and opportunities have recently emerged with immigration from European and non-European countries — challenges which must be faced and opportunities which should be taken advantage of. Our society is characterised by growing diversity, pluralism and complex relations, and calls for scientifically sound solutions for successful diversity and peace management.
Against this backdrop, several EURAC institutes with diverse areas of knowledge and competences have combined their resources, thus creating the ideal cluster to study local, national and international issues from differing legal, political, sociological, linguistic or economic points of view. Our aim is to elaborate proposals for joint solutions in close cooperation with businesses as well as institutional and political stakeholders, in order to foster socio-political advancement and positively influence the quality of life of the entire population.