Conference Program

Migration involves the movement of people from one geographic location to another and can create both opportunities and challenges (Rinaldi, 2023). While this movement can provide better opportunities for migrants, it also brings challenges such as language barriers, educational difficulties, social isolation, and perceived discrimination (Ķešāne, 2019; Pan et al., 2019). On the other hand, migration has a great impact on intellectual capital in both origin and host countries. Intellectual capital is recognized as the intangible resources of an organization or society, including knowledge, skills, experience, and capabilities, which play a significant role in innovation, economic development, and competitiveness (Gariba et al., 2025). The results of some researches show that highly educated and skilled migrants have a positive influence on innovation in host countries, created through intellectual capital (Hunt & Gauthier-Loiselle, 2010; Kerr & Lincoln, 2010; Capoani, Chabert, & Izzo, 2024; Gariba et al., 2025; Pan et al., 2025). Due to this reason, different countries should take these aspects into account and promote specific projects and actions, particularly for the younger generations, to develop their skills and knowledge and to provide suitable infrastructure for migrants.

In this context, the Migrantour program, co-funded by the European Union, has been launched with the aim of enhancing cultural integration as well as economic and social sustainability. The program offers opportunities for learning and cultural interaction through city walks and listening to stories and knowledge shared by migrants. This proposal adopts Human Capital Theory as its theoretical framework to examine how migration influences intellectual capital through Intercultural Urban Education, specifically via guided city walks and storytelling by migrants. Human Capital Theory emphasizes that investments in education, skills, and training enhance productivity and economic value (Gariba et al., 2025). Migrantour can be considered a practical case of Intercultural Urban Education in order to enhance intellectual capital. This project is running in Italy and some other European countries such as Denmark, Spain, France, and the Netherlands. This proposal is concentrated on Migrantour in Verona, Italy. Its aim is to understand how the Migrantour project enhances intellectual capital and cultural integration by fostering new knowledge, skills, and shared cultural experiences. Regarding the methodology, a qualitative approach through a case study has been chosen. Participatory observation using an ethnographic strategy will be applied during the walk. In addition, semi-structured interviews with organizers and walk guides, including 10 interviews, will be conducted. Qualitative data will be analyzed through thematic coding and categorization. It is expected that the implementation of the Migrantour project in Verona will contribute to strengthening intercultural dialogue, reducing social distance between migrants and local citizens, promoting social inclusion, and enhancing the city’s intellectual and cultural capital.