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The day began with a warm welcome from Dr. Anastassia Zabrodskaja, Professor of Intercultural Communication at Tallinn University, followed by introductions led by (Södertörn University, Sweden) and (Universität Rostock, Germany). Professor Anastassia Zabrodskaja emphasized how valuable it is that YECREA – represented by Ana-Nzinga Weiß, (Erasmus University Rotterdam/Radboud University Nijmegen, The Netherlands), and Miriana Cascone – takes the initiative to organize this workshop and provide a platform for young scholars to connect, exchange, and grow within the academic community.

The morning featured parallel sessions of PhD student presentations, divided into two thematic groups. In “Minoritized Digital Communities,” discussions highlighted refugee women’s digital practices, feminist ethics of care, online networks of migrant women from Turkey, and LGBTQ+ experiences along smuggler routes. In “Diaspora, Displacement and Digital Belonging,” presentations explored intercultural dialogue in Lithuania, digital media among Turkish diasporic children, identity-building by Hong Kong immigrants, and reflexive fieldwork with local mediators.

After lunch, the sessions continued with case studies on digital advocacy, far-right politics, digital inclusion, identity, and media practices in migrant and diasporic contexts. Presentations spanned topics from queer digital activism to Chinese students’ online placemaking in London, immigrant adaptation through news consumption, journalistic ethics in conflict zones, and stance-taking in virtual exchanges.

In the afternoon, participants gathered for an open roundtable on “Navigating the PhD,” a space to share methodological challenges, ethical dilemmas, and experiences of academic life.

The day concluded with a keynote by Dr. (Jagiellonian University, Poland), “Feeling the Field: An Exploration of a Multisensory Positionality in Creative Migration Research,” before the conference opened officially with a reception for all delegates.

The PhD workshop provided a rich platform for doctoral researchers to share their projects, exchange feedback with peers and postdoctoral scholars, and build connections ahead of the full conference program.

For more information, please contact Dr. , Professor of Intercultural Communication at Tallinn University’s Baltic Film, Media and Arts School, and chair of the ECREA Diaspora, Migration and the Media – International and Intercultural Communication Sections Conference “Beyond Borders: Creative Methods and Reflexive Approaches to Migration, Media, and Intercultural Dialogue