UAB PhD Student Kristina Stankova Leads a Seminar on Migration Perceptions at New Bulgarian University
The researcher analyzed attitudes toward immigrants among older adults in Bulgaria during a session organized by the Department of Political Science and CERMES. The event connected her previous work on migration dynamics with her current doctoral research at UAB.
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The seminar highlights the impact of migration debates and bridges political research with community sport and social inclusion projects.
On November 4, 2026, Kristina Stankova, a PhD student in Sport Sciences at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, led an English-language seminar at New Bulgarian University in Sofia. The session, titled "Attitudes Toward Immigrants Among Older People in Bulgaria: The Case of the ‘Migrant Hunters’", was organized jointly by NBU's Department of Political Science and the Centre for European Refugees, Migration and Ethnic Studies (CERMES), moderated by Associate Professor Ildiko Otova and researcher Vanina Ninova.
Drawing on her 2018 master’s research, the researcher analyzed how personal contact, perceived threat, media coverage, and political dynamics shape public opinion toward immigrants. During her presentation, Stankova compared the 2016 "migrant hunters" phenomenon with the social context in 2026, emphasizing that population aging does not automatically generate hostility or rejection toward displaced individuals.
The scientific activity provided a space for debate among researchers and attendees by linking migration studies, political science, and social inclusion strategies. Furthermore, this seminar connects directly with the doctoral research Stankova is currently developing at UAB, which focuses on physical activity and community-based sport for forcibly displaced adult women in Barcelona.