Apply by 15 AprilSummer School: An Interdisciplinary History of Writing

8 March 2023

Photo: CSMC

How has writing shaped human societies and cultures and how have these, in turn, adapted writing to their needs? This July, a two-week summer school gives students from various disciplines the chance to explore central questions of the Cluster of Excellence UWA under the guidance of leading experts.

Research on written artefacts is not all about the contents of texts. It begins with the physical object itself, be it a Mesopotamian clay tablet with cuneiform writing, an ancient rock inscription, an Indian palm-leaf manuscript, or a legal document written on parchment in medieval Europe. Understanding written artefacts thus requires a global and comparative approach, bundling expertise from various disciplines in the humanities, the natural sciences, and computer sciences.

This July, a two-week summer school gives graduate and undergraduate students the opportunity to explore some of the topics that are at the heart of the Cluster of Excellence ‘Understanding Written Artefacts’. Guided by an international group of experts, they will investigate, for instance, the composition of writing supports, ingredients of inks, and the binding of codices. Other modules also address the circumstances of production, the use and re-use of manuscripts and other written artefacts, and the attribution of special qualities or powers to them. A detailed overview of all modules is available here.

The course is open to students from the humanities, the natural sciences, or computer sciences with an interest in research on written artefacts (they should be at least be in their 2nd year of a BA/BSc programme or in MA/MSc programme), as well as to doctoral and postdoctoral researchers. To give everyone who is interested the opportunity to attend, potential participants can apply for a fee waiver and financial support for their travel costs. More information on eligibility and how to apply is available here.

Applications to attend the summer school must be submitted by 15 April 2023.

This summer school is generously supported by the Department of International Affairs at Universität Hamburg.