The ENLIGHT/Matariki Summer School in Medieval and Early Modern Studies
Organized by the Universities of Bern, Durham, Groningen, Bern, Uppsala, and Tübingen.
“Things That Matter” is a module offered in partnership with the Universities of Groningen,
Uppsala, Durham, Bern, and Tübingen. It takes place during the Easter Term/RUG block 4
and consists of a preparatory International Classroom module delivered online and of a
week-long Summer School held each year in one of the partner universities in collaboration
with their local cultural institutions.
The module is designed for (Research-)Master and PhD students of the partner universities
but is also open to applicants from other universities as well as Cultural Heritage
professionals.
Content
“Things that Matter” addresses the tension between the materiality of sources, their
digitization, and the usage of the derived data.
The recent advances in digital technologies have created new modes of reproduction
and forms of consumption that have substantially reshaped the concepts of ‘object’,
‘collection’, and ‘data’ at the heart of cultural institutions such as libraries, archives, and
museums (LAM).
The Summer School engages with key questions that arise from studying the past in the
digital age. These issues include the changing nature of objects such as books, scientific
instruments, and human remains as source materials and digital data. Accordingly, the
history and practice of collections and collecting, digitization, and technological and
intellectual challenges become essential categories of analysis.
“Things That Matter” maps the possibilities and challenges the digital age poses for
researchers. The ongoing process of digitization makes sources of the past available to a
previously unknown extent, but what does this mean for researchers and cultural heritage
institutions?
We will also discuss the role of objects in Public History. How does society approach the
legacy of “things” in museums and heritage institutions? Which objects are “worth keeping”,
why, and when? Who determines the selection process, and what are the selection criteria
for curators, archivists, and other agents in the sector? What collections are digitized, and
for what reasons? Who makes the selections? How do we meet scientific demands on
systematic design and transparency when working on online search engines and on differing
(and sometimes incompatible) designs of databases?
The Summer School brings together experts from academia and the cultural heritage sector.
Over the course of one week of intensive teaching, they will deliver lectures, lead seminars,
and hands-on sessions in libraries and museums, and supervise student-led projects and
presentations.
Accreditation: 7,5 ECTS (International Classroom: 2,5 ECTS, International Summer School: 5
ECTS), partner-specific adaptations might apply.
Teaching Methods and Contact Hours
International Classroom:
The online module runs for 5 weeks in block 4/Semester 2 (starting 09.05.2025). Total hours:
60, including student-led seminars, discussion groups, and structured readings.
- Critical Reading: Prepare and assess key readings related to the subject “Things that
Matter”. Students reflect in writing on required reading and identify four key questions
guiding principles to be applied to the design of the virtual collection (task 2) (week 2, 30%,
ca. reading, + writing = ca. 20 hrs ) ca. 1500 words.
- The Virtual Exhibition: students design a virtual collection of materials specific to the
host Library/Museum. These collections will then be assessed for their relevance in the
respective university context, thus sensitizing students to the different national agendas and
the socio-political agents in charge of collecting, preserving, and presenting objects. At the
"virtual opening" of the exhibition, the students provide a handout in which they reflect on
their choice, its use for historical research, the ethics of collecting, and the role of digitization
in using or popularizing these objects (weeks 3-5, 70%, reading, collecting + discussing = ca.
40hrs).
International Summer School (23-27 June 2025, conducted by and in the University of Bern)
Program: approx. 30 hours of teaching and learning activities over the course of one week
(Monday-Friday). The Summer School will consist of lectures, hands-on sessions, and
student-led group work and a presentation.
Tasks:
Actively participate in all components of the Summer School.
- Creative writing and reflection task: An Itinerary of an Object: a collaborative essay
written by student groups during the week on the Itinerary of an object (2000-3000 words)
and finalized for assessment (2 ECTS).
- Presentation of research in progress on the itinerary accompanied by a brief hand-out:
0,5 ECTS.
- Writing an essay in which the students critically discuss the themes of the Summer
School in relation to their own research (3000-4000 words, 2 ECTS)
- Write a SWOT analysis of the Summer School in which they reflect critically on their
learning experience (750-1000 words, 0,5 ECTS)
Deadline of application: 1st of March 2025.
Fees:
- € 250 for Students (not from the organizing institutions)
- € 350 for Heritage Practitioners
Contact and application:
University of Groningen: Raingard Esser, r.m.esser@rug.nl
Uppsala University: Mikael Alm, Mikael.Alm@hist.uu.se;
Durham University: Graeme Small, g.p.small@durham.ac.uk;
Universität Bern: Tobias Hodel, tobias.hodel@unibe.ch;
Universität Tübingen: Daniel Menning, daniel.menning@uni-tuebingen.de
The University of Groningen is taking applications from outside students and heritage
practitioners.
