The PhD journey is non-linear and deeply human. While mobility enriches research, it can also lead to academic and emotional isolation, especially for international doctoral researchers. Sustainable global research networks need strong local roots: building “glocal” academic communities is essential.
The three days retreat hosted in Pisa (from the 14 to 16 May) brings together doctoral researchers from diverse backgrounds to reflect on intersectionality in academia, share experiences (including ironic takes such as “disastrous” PhD memes), and foster an inclusive community of practice. A key outcome will be the creation of a glocal support system to help international PhD students navigate university and everyday life in Pisa.
Doctoral students from Circle U. universities (master's students and early-career researchers may join upon request).
Programme
Location:
Detaills Living Lab, Via San Martino 3, Pisa https://share.google/YkFLRNA0TqATRMoL5 (unless otherwise specified)
14.30 - 15.00
Meeting & Coffe
15.00 - 15.30
Opening remarks and presentation of IN-ROOTS, Circle U. and the Detaills Lab
15.30 - 19.00
Workshop on Intersectionality in Academia
with Dott.ssa Chiara Borelli
An interactive workshop introducing intersectionality and the pedagogy of differences, and shared reflection on international PhD experiences, needs, and aspirations.
19.00 - 20.00
Apertif
20.00 - 22.00
Optional - Informal lab activities
Location:
Detaills Living Lab, Via San Martino 3, Pisa https://share.google/YkFLRNA0TqATRMoL5 (unless otherwise specified)
9.00 - 10.00
Optional - Yoga at Parco delle Concette (https://share.google/EU7dtXTBf4NjUlaCH) and Breakfast
10.00 - 11.00
Optional - Libraries and Bookshop Walk
14.30 - 15.00
Meeting & Coffe
15.00 - 15.30
Opening remarks and presentation of Circle U, Circle U. Platforms and Workpacakges
15.30 - 18.30
Workshop on PhD Memes
This workshop explores the PhD experience through humor, using memes as a tool to reflect on the role and condition of doctoral researchers. Participants will create and share memes in small groups, using humor to explore doctoral life and its challenges, and conclude with a collective activity and game.
19.30 - 21.00
Pizza Dinner at Pizzeria le Scuderie (https://share.google/C7cL0kQpJaIclm8Xk)
20.00 - 22.00
Optional - Discovery city walk by night
Location:
Detaills Living Lab, Via San Martino 3, Pisa https://share.google/YkFLRNA0TqATRMoL5 (unless otherwise specified)
9.00 - 10.00
Optional - Yoga
10.00 - 11.00
Presentation of the Local Support Ecosystem
Overview of existing local organizations and services to support orientation within the city of Pisa and the University of Pisa.
11.00 - 11.30
Need Sharing
Presentation of PhD needs and desired identified in day 1
11.30 - 13.00
Co-Design Workshop: Shaping a Glocal Support Network
A collaborative workshop to explore and define a glocal support system for international PhD students, identifying the services, resources, and initiatives needed to address shared needs.
13.00 - 14.00
Lunch Break
14.00 - 18.00
Co-Creation Workshop: Building the Glocal Support System
A hands-on workshop focused on developing the glocal support network for international PhD students, including the co-creation of the system that brings together information on services, resources, and opportunities.
18.00 - 20.00
Closing session + website QR code launch
Funding
The course is free of charge and meals are fully covered by the organisers.
To find out about potential funding opportunities for travel and accommodation, please reach out to your international/Erasmus office at your home institution (see below).
- Aarhus University: aarhus@circle-u.eu
- University of Belgrade: Nikola Savic nikola.savic@rect.bg.ac.rs
- Humboldt Universität zu Berlin: berlin@circle-u.eu
- King’s College London: Students are not eligible for Erasmus+ funding, but may have access to internal funding. Please check for funding opportunities or contact the Circle U. Team for more information: circle-u@kcl.ac.uk
- UCLouvain: infocircleu@uclouvain.be
- University of Oslo: oslo@circle-u.eu
- Université Paris Cité: circleu.iro@u-paris.fr and online at u-paris.fr
- University of Pisa: circleU.erasmus@unipi.it and on our website.
- University of Vienna: circle-u@univie.ac.at
Contact the organisers
The initiative is developed by the University of Pisa, in collaboration with UCLouvain, the University of Vienna, and the Detaills Living Lab (Unipi).
The organisers are Diana Domenichini (PhD in AI for Society) and Elena Diana (PhD in Pedagogy).
Diana Domenichini is a PhD candidate in Artificial Intelligence for Society at the University of Pisa. Her research explores the impacts and potential of Generative AI in the field of education.
She collaborates on educational and outreach projects aimed at fostering a critical and informed understanding of technology, particularly within the Detaills Living Lab. Her approach is shaped by a spontaneous curiosity and lively creativity rooted in her background in physics, which continues to influence her way of thinking and communicating.
Driven by interdisciplinary interests, she engages in multiple projects and values diversity as a key driver of innovation. She often reflects on her role as something fluid and evolving, emerging from the ongoing exchange of perspectives and practices.
Contact: diana.domenichini@phd.unipi.it
Elena Diana is a PhD candidate in Philosophy (Education and Pedagogy) at the University of Pisa and a primary school teacher. Her research adopts a multiple case study approach to investigate why Danish and Italian teachers take their primary school classes outdoors. She works primarily through qualitative methods and an empathic, relational perspective, staying close to individual stories and experiences.
Transitioning from primary school teaching to academia, she encountered a landscape shaped by implicit rules and unspoken codes. Missing the openness and spontaneity of children, she developed what she describes as an “outdoor mindset,” navigating academic life with curiosity and simple, guiding questions.
Contact: elena.diana@phd.unipi.it
