Rome, Italy

The World in Rome

Are you fascinated with phenomena of intercultural exchange and international co-operation? Then this Summer school in Rome might be the thing for you. Rome fascinates for at least two reasons. Firstly, because its millennial history as a real and perceived ‘centre of the world’ provides numerous examples of international networks or communities, either religious, artistic, political and diplomatic, or scientific. Secondly because Rome still lives up to its appellation ‘caput mundi’. Partly thanks to its symbolic value, it is still today a unique cross-cultural ‘hub’, presenting a fascinating window to our globalized world. These historical and contemporary dimensions have many lessons to teach, about respectful international collaboration and fruitful intercultural dialogue, but also about rivalries, conflict, abuse and oppression.

As a unique gateway to this theme, a crucial role in this course is to be played by the foreign academies and institutes in Rome. In their capacity of bridges between tradition and modernity, and between national and supranational perspectives, they form one of the primary subjects of investigation.

The programme will feature lectures by specialists from various disciplines and excursions to many different sites in Rome. Students will actively engage in discussions and deliver an on-site presentation.

The course offers a unique opportunity to get to know Rome as an international hub in past and present; learn about relevant academic concepts and discourse, and – last but not least – to personally experience intercultural exchange and international cooperation in a highly diverse group of staff and students.

Course leader

Asker Pelgrom

Target group

The course is open to students from all disciplines. Main target group are (advanced) undergraduate students, however graduate students are also invited to apply. In the latter case, students are responsible for obtaining prior approval of their home Board of Examiners (in view of recognition of credits).

Course aim

After this course you will be able to:

1. Obtain general familiarity with the main historical developments of the city of Rome from the early modern age to the present, in particular concerning (traces of) foreign presences in Rome.
2. Become acquainted with different disciplinary approaches, concepts and discourse relating to intercultural exchange and international cooperation; apply these to a case study, either historical or modern.
3. Collaborate effectively within a diverse team on research about a specific object, monument, location or institution in the city of Rome, deploying different methods (e.g. textual and visual analysis, interviews, fieldwork).
4. Communicate the outcomes of this research to an audience with a general academic background in an oral presentation; receive and process feedback.
5. Creatively translate insights gained from knowledge, theory and research into a practical application, by (writing a proposal for) deploying social media.

Fee info

EUR 350: for UG and ENLIGHT students

The fee includes lodging in Rome, 1 welcoming dinner and entrance fees for excursions. It does not include travel costs to and from Rome, local transport and personal expenses, such as meals.
EUR 750: for all other students

The fee includes lodging in Rome, 1 welcoming dinner and entrance fees for excursions. It does not include travel costs to and from Rome, local transport and personal expenses, such as meals.