As part of the EUPeace Doctoral Mobility Grant, I completed a three-month mobility at the University of Calabria, focusing on teaching activities related migration, refugee reception, and the limits of AI-based analysis in social research. The mobility aimed to strengthen my doctoral training through empirical fieldwork, academic exchange, and the integration of research outcomes into teaching activities.
© Justus Liebig University Giessen via CanvaContact
A closer look at his three months at University of Calabria:
Academic Exchange:
During the mobility, I engaged closely with scholars at the University of Calabria and participated in academic seminars and conferences on migration, hospitality, and reception policies.
Qualitative Fieldwork:
Another component of the stay was qualitative field work conducted with civil society organisations active in migration and refugee support in Calabria. Through expert interviews with several NGOs, I examined local reception practices, labour exploitation, and the role of civil society in addressing structural vulnerabilities affecting migrants and refugees.
Research & Teaching Integration:
The most important outcome of the mobility was the combination of empirical field insights with methodological reflection on artificial intelligence in social science research and the integration of theseinsights into an academic seminar titled “The Limits of LLMs: Can AI Truly Understand Social Realities?”, which critically examined the potential and limitations of large language models in migration and social cohesion research, drawing on longitudinal empirical data and fieldwork experiences.
Overall, the mobility significantly contributed to my doctoral profile. It enhanced my interdisciplinary perspective at the intersection of social science and AI governance, and supported the translation of research findings into teaching and academic dissemination within the EUPeace framework.
© Anna Elia