International Conference ECCO-Italy: Teaching, Identity, and Language Policies in Chinese Heritage Schools

Conference Details

Dates: January 15-17, 2026
Location: University of Bergamo, via Salvecchio, 19, Italy

Overview

The ECCO-Italy project is proud to host an International Conference dedicated to exploring the complex intersection of teaching, identity, and language policies and planning through the lens of Chinese heritage language schools. This prestigious event brings together leading scholars and educators to discuss critical issues in education for children of Chinese origin in Italy.

About the ECCO-Italy Project

ECCO-Italy (Education of Children of Chinese Origin in Italy) is a comprehensive research initiative funded by the European Union under the NextGenerationEU program, specifically through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), Mission 4, Component 2, Investment 1.1. The project has been selected in the competitive PRIN 2022 PNRR funding call (D.D. 1409, published on September 14, 2022) by the Italian Ministry of University and Research (Ministero dell’Università e della Ricerca).

Project Leadership:

Principal Investigator: Tommaso PELLIN, Dipartimento di Lingue, Letterature e Culture Moderne, Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna
Local Unit Coordinator: Martina CASCHERA, Dipartimento di Lingue, Letterature e Culture Straniere, Università degli Studi di Bergamo

Keynote Speakers

This conference features three distinguished international keynote speakers with extensive expertise in education, language policy, and cultural integration:

CHEN Yong (陈勇)

Associate Professor, School of Humanities, Wenzhou University

Prof. Chen brings valuable perspectives on Chinese heritage language education from mainland China, drawing on research and practical experience in educational policies.

LI Wei (李嵬)

Director and Dean of the Institute of Education (IOE), Faculty of Education and Society, University College

Dean Li is a renowned expert in multilingual education and language learning, contributing critical insights into educational institutional approaches to language and cultural identity.

WANG Simeng (王思萌)

Research Fellow, CNRS (The French National Centre for Scientific Research) and Faculty Member, CERMES3

Dr. Wang brings interdisciplinary perspectives from the Research Centre for Medicine, Science, Health, Mental Health and Society, enriching discussions with a comprehensive approach to educational and social issues.

Topics and Focus Areas

The conference will address:

Language policies and planning in heritage language educational contexts
The role of Chinese heritage schools in identity formation
Teaching methodologies for heritage language learners
Integration of language and cultural education
Institutional frameworks supporting Chinese heritage education in Italy
Contemporary challenges and best practices in multilingual education

Significance

As Italy continues to develop increasingly diverse educational landscapes, understanding the specific needs and opportunities within Chinese heritage language education is crucial. This conference provides an essential platform for researchers, educators, policy makers, and community leaders to share knowledge, collaborate on solutions, and advocate for inclusive, culturally-responsive educational practices.

Who Should Attend

Educators and language teachers
Researchers in education and sociolinguistics
Policy makers and education administrators
Representatives of heritage language communities
Parents and community leaders
Students interested in education and multiculturalism
Cultural integration specialists

Contact Information

For more information about the conference, registration details, or program specifics, please contact:

Martina CASCHERA
Email: martina.caschera@unibg.it

Andrea DEL BONO
Email: andrea.delbono@unibg.it

Project Website: ecco-italy.it

Funding Acknowledgment

This conference is part of the communication and dissemination activities of the PRIN Project “ECCO-Italy: Education of Children of Chinese Origin in Italy,” funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU, under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), Mission 4, Component 2, Investment 1.1, funding call PRIN 2022 PNRR D.D. 1409 published on 14.9.2022 by the Italian Ministry of University and Research (Ministero dell’Università e della Ricerca).

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Program (draft)

Thursday, January 15, 2026

09.00–09.30 Registration

09.30–10.00 Institutional greetings

Flaminia Nicora (Vice Rector of International Relations, University of Bergamo)
Tommaso Pellin (PI of the PRIN PNRR ECCO-Italy, University of Bologna)
Jiang Zhonghua (President of the Association for the Promotion of the Chinese Community in Italy; President of the Jinan University Alumni Association in Italy; Principal of the Zhonghua Chinese Language School of Rome)

10.00–11.00 Keynote speaker

Li Wei (University College London) — Chinese heritage language education in the age of AI

11.00–11.15 Coffee Break

11.15–13.15 Public engagement event | The Chinese Community in Bergamo: Educational Landscapes

Chair: Federica Burini (Delegate of the Rector for Public Engagement, University of Bergamo)

Alessandra Ghisalberti (Coordinator of the PhD Program in Landscape Studies for Global and Local Challenges and President of the Master’s Course in Geo-urban planning, University of Bergamo)
Patrizia Anesa and Lucia Avallone (President and Vice-President of the Master’s course in Modern Languages for International cooperation and communication, LMCCI, University of Bergamo)
Cristian Pallone (Associate Professor of Japanese Language and Literature and coordinator of TNE – LEGO exchange programme for the Far East, University of Bergamo)
Gloria Farisé (Principal of Liceo Linguistico G. Falcone, Bergamo)
Marzia Marchesi (Councillor for Early Childhood, Educational and School Services, City of Bergamo)

14.30–15.30 Session 1 “Politics and Global Issues”

Chair: Martina Caschera (University of Bergamo)

Stefania Stafutti (University of Turin) — Title TBC
Federica Burini, Alessandra Ghisalberti (University of Bergamo) — Title TBC
Daniele Brigadoi Cologna (University of Insubria) — Title TBC
Margherita Di Salvo (University of Naples Federico II) e Francesca Moro (L’Orientale University of Naples) — Title TBC
Valeria Varriano (Confucius Institute of L’Orientale University of Naples) — Title TBC

15.30–17.00 Parallel Session 2A “Educational Practices”

Chair: Tommaso Pellin (University of Bologna)

Andrea Scibetta and Davide Francolino (University for Foreigners of Siena) — “Between Roots and Routes: Pedagogical Practices in Zhejiang’s Huaqiao Xuexiao.”
He Qian (University of Bologna) — “Digital Platforms and Teaching Creativity in Chinese Complementary Schools Post-Pandemic.”
Yu Jinjin (Zhonghua Chinese School, Rome) — “Affective Recontextualization of PRC Curricula in a Chinese Heritage School in Italy.”
Yvonne Tse Crepaldi (Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University) and Sara Ganassin (Newcastle University) — “An Italian Chinese International School at a Glocal Crossroads: A Scoping Study of Practices, Challenges, and Future Directions.”

15.30–17.00 Parallel Session 2B “Narrazioni”

Chair: Marta Pantalone (University of Bergamo)

Giuseppe Rizzuto (University of Florence) — Racialization and the Making of Chineseness among Sino-descendant Youth in Italy.
Andrea Del Bono (University of Bergamo) — “New Mapping for Italy’s Chinese Heritage Schools.”
Jacopo de Cinti (Zhonghua Chinese School of Rome) — Title TBC
Eduardo Accorroni (University of Macerata) — “Narrating China in Italy: State Rhetorics and Diasporic Narratives in the Teaching of Chinese Culture.”

17.00–17.15 Coffee Break

17.15–18.30 Session 3 “HLE abroad”

Chair: Andrea Del Bono (University of Bergamo)

Jie Liu (University of Minho) — “Chinese Heritage Language Education in Multicultural Europe: Balancing Cultural Preservation and Integration — A Pedagogical Perspective.”
Szandra Ésik (Eötvös Loránd University) — “Mother Tongue Among Chinese Immigrants in Hungary: A Mixed-Methods Study.”
Jaruwan Teanmahasatid (SOAS University) — “Nationalism and Ideological Control in Sino–Thai Education Policy, 1938–1978.” (online presentation)
Florence Lévy (Collège de France) — “Chinese parents and children’s perspectives in France and Switzerland.”

Friday, January 16, 2026

09.00–09.30 Registration

09.30–10.30 Keynote speaker

Chen Yong (Wenzhou University) — Migration and Return: A Hundred-Year Migration History of two Villages in the Wenzhou Region

10.30–10.45 Coffee Break

10.45–11.45 Roundtable 2 Compulsory schooling: “connections” and “bridges”

Chair: Alessandra Ghisalberti (University of Bergamo)

Martina Caschera (University of Bergamo) — Title TBC
Ivana Bolognesi (University of Bologna) — Title TBC
Sabrina Ardizzoni (University for Foreigners of Siena) — Title TBC
Monica Tardiani (IC12 Verona e TanteTinte) — Title TBC
Giulia Urciuoli (Convitto Nazionale Vittorio Emanuele II of Rome) e Silvia Dolci (Liceo Giovanni Falcone of Bergamo) — Title TBC

11.45–13.00 Roundtable 3 “Chinese Heritage Schools Principals”

Chair: Yedi Yu (University of Bologna), and Weiying Sun (University of Bergamo)

Wang Chen (Yanhuang School, Sesto Fiorentino)
Ding Lu (Boyue School, Bologna)
Chen Shuo (Qiusuo School, Verona)
Jiang Zhonghua (Zhonghua School, Rome)

13.00–14.00 Buffet lunch

14.15–15.30 Session 4 “Schools and Families in Italy”

Chair: Andrea Scibetta (University for Foreigners of Siena)

Zhang Xiangxiao (Shuren International, Carpi) — “An Analysis from the Perspective of Parental Care and the Lack of Educational Knowledge in the Modena Area.”
Cristina Li (University of Bologna) — “Chinese Heritage Language Maintenance in Italy: The Role of Attitudes in Family and School Contexts.”
Francesca Lupia (European University Institute) — “Educational Experiences of Chinese Italian High School Graduates During the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Ethnographic Study in a High School in Florence.”
Li Qing (Tonghua School, Trieste) — Title TBC

15.30–15.45 Coffee Break

15.45–17.30 Session 5 “Schools and Families Abroad”

Chair: Valentina Pedone (University of Firenze)

Zhu Shuting (NEOMA Confucius Institute for Business) — “I Don’t Like Mandarin, But I Have to Learn Mandarin”: Mandarin Learning Trajectories of Wenzhounese Adult Learners in Paris.”
Jia Lin (University of Salamanca) e Chiara Uliana (University of Granada) — “Foreign Here and There”: Between Obligation and Belonging among Second-Generation Chinese Youth in Spain.”
Eva Salerno (Catholic University of Paris) — “Learning Chinese in European Catholic parishes: reconnecting with family heritage.”
Li Zhen (The Education University of Hong Kong) — “Homegrown Cosmopolitans: The Making of Chinese Heritage Identity in Hong Kong International Schools.”

Saturday, January 17, 2026

09.30–10.30 Keynote speaker

Wang Simeng (French National Center for Scientific Research) — A Multi-Scalar Approach on the Identity-building among Descendants of Chinese Migrants living in Europe

10.30–10.45 Coffee Break

10.45–12.45 Session 6 “Identity”

Chair: Martina Caschera (University of Bergamo)

Yang Ni (Tianjin Nankai University) and Letizia Vallini (University of Córdoba) — “(Re)constructing Linguistic Identity: A Comparison of New Chinese and Italian Generations” (online presentation)
Qiao Yan (University of Sassari) — Language, Family, and Identity: Educational Dynamics in Chinese Families in Sassari
Valentina Pedone (University of Firenze) e Zhong Zou (Waseda University) — Language, Identity, and Belonging: Life Histories of Second-Generation Chinese in Italy
Giovanni Giamello (Aalborg University) — On Not Speaking Chinese in Verona

12.45–13.00 Conclusive remarks and greetings

Practical Information

1. Conference Venue and How to Get There

Via Salvecchio 19 hosts the Rectorate and several classrooms of the Department of Foreign Languages, Literatures and Cultures of the University. Thanks to its location in the heart of the historic centre, it is conveniently within walking distance of the main points of interest in Città Alta (Upper city) — the main square, monuments, libraries, restaurants, city walls.

From the airport (Milan–Bergamo Airport – Orio al Serio)

Take bus line 1 (Airport Bus) to the city centre / Porta Nuova. From there, continue toward Città Alta with the same bus to the terminus “Colle Aperto”, or walk to Viale Vittorio Emanuele and take the funicular up.

From Bergamo railway station

Take bus line 1 toward Città Alta — stop “Colle Aperto” (last stop).
Frequency: approx. every 15 minutes.

Alternatively, walk to Viale Vittorio Emanuele and take the funicular to Città Alta, then walk to Via Salvecchio.

By car / Taxi

Exit the A4 motorway at “Bergamo” and follow signs for Città Alta via Viale Papa Giovanni XXIII → Viale Vittorio Emanuele → Viale delle Mura / Piazzale S. Agostino.

Note: Città Alta is a Limited Traffic Zone (ZTL). We recommend parking in a car park in the lower town and then taking the funicular or walking up.

2. Accommodation Suggestions

Below is a list of accommodation options.

Central Hostel BG, Via Antonio Ghislanzoni 30. Tel: +39 035 211359 · Email: staff@centralhostelbg.com
Stop & Sleep Bergamo, Via Giorgio e Guido Paglia 19. Tel: +39 351 8155595 · Email: stopsleepbergamo@gmail.com
B&B Entro Le Mura, Via San Lorenzo. Tel: 338 5071629 / 035 233189 · Email: entrolemura@tiscali.it
Botton d’Oro Pelabrocco, Vicolo Pelabrocco 3. Tel: +39 349 780 6584
B&B Gallery Bergamo, Via San Tomaso. Tel: 035 529 7964
Locanda Cece e Simo, Via 4 Novembre 65/67. Tel: 035 400008 · Email: info@cecesimo.com
Hotel Il Sole, Via Colleoni 1. Tel: +39 035 218238 · Email: info@ilsolebergamo.com

3. Where to Eat

Città Alta (Upper city)

Il Circolino Città Alta — Vicolo Sant’Agata 19, 24129 Bergamo. A much-loved historic venue offering traditional Bergamasque cuisine (also pizzeria / bar / café) with a welcoming atmosphere. Perfect for lunch, dinner, or a relaxing break after the sessions.
Da Mimmo — Via Bartolomeo Colleoni 17, 24129 Bergamo. A long-established restaurant in Città Alta, serving simple, traditional dishes with local / short-supply-chain ingredients, plus pizza and well-made “home-style” foods.
Trattoria del Teatro — Piazza Lorenzo Mascheroni 3/A. An authentic and traditional trattoria, pleasantly “off the tourist track” compared to the more well-known restaurants—ideal for those seeking a simple setting and good Bergamasque cuisine.

Città Bassa

Borgo Santa Caterina — a neighbourhood known for its authentic atmosphere, small shops, osterie, restaurants, and lively evenings. Ideal for an informal dinner, an aperitivo, or pizza in a “local neighbourhood” setting.
Borgo San Leonardo / Piazza Pontida — once a commercial crossroads, now a hub of restaurants and convivial venues; convenient for dinner or an aperitivo after work or meetings.
The streets around Via XX Settembre and adjacent areas — for those looking for something convenient near shops or for quick lunch breaks: here you’ll find cafés, take-aways, and all kinds of eateries, useful also for travellers arriving by train or moving frequently.
Areas around Viale Papa Giovanni XXIII — thanks to their proximity to the station and transport links, this area is practical for visitors with limited time, offering easy options for a meal or coffee before heading elsewhere.

4. Visit Bergamo

Highlights in Città Alta

Piazza Vecchia; Torre Civica; Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore; Cappella Colleoni; Duomo di Bergamo (Sant’Alessandro); Museo e Casa Natale di Gaetano Donizetti; Rocca di Bergamo & Parco delle Mura; Cittadella Viscontea; Mura Veneziane; Porta San Giacomo.

Highlights in Città Bassa

Accademia Carrara; GAMeC Museum – temporary exhibitions and contemporary collections; Sentierone and Piazza Matteotti – heart of Città Bassa; Teatro Donizetti – a recently restored 19th-century theatre, home to the Donizetti Opera festival.