Curiosity, Concern, and Commitment in Europe and the Americas: State – Society – Religion

About

Faced with a multitude of concrete challenges and crises posing existential threats to our lives
and the stability of our societies, we can ask ourselves how we have become less curious to
know details, learn facts, and explore different explanations for the complexities of our world.
We might be surprised by how quickly we are expected to have an opinion and how quickly
we confirm these expectations with declarations of firm beliefs, strong convictions, and fixed
positions. Sometimes we might even feel compelled to pretend to know more than we do
concerning an understanding of the world. Artificial Intelligence contributes to this world of
quick-fix solutions by the convenience of fast answers to possible questions seemingly
addressing gaps in our knowledge. Less and less time is allowed for carefully looking into
matters, little motivation is provided for us to investigate issues more thoroughly through
reading, thinking, and writing in order to explore contradictory concerns behind conflicts,
researching how the political, economic, cultural, and social aspects have shaped and defined
these challenges and crises. Despite some philosophers discarding curiosity as a “kind of
knowing, but just in order to have known” (Heidegger), the summer school intends to
understand curiosity, concern, and commitment as an academic engagement with the world
countering tendencies of impatience, arrogance, and fear. The more abstract approach of
concern will be discussed in relation to the more concrete of commitment as a future
projection. Thus, the topic of GUSEGG 2026 is an invitation to create an academic community
that allows for controversial academic discussion and debate to address the challenges and
crises of our times in a meaningful way.
GUSEGG 2026 will offer a platform for the contributions of academics of various backgrounds
and disciplines and will present research on how curiosity, concern, and commitment in
Europe and the Americas are addressed socially, politically, culturally, and economically, and
what this means for states, societies, and religions. In order to develop strategies and methods
to meet the challenges of our times, this summer school encourages contemplation of the
many forces that make us believe that the crises we face are essential, natural, or inevitable.
Therefore, the suggested analysis offers us not only an understanding of our own positions on
an individual, a regional, national, and global level, but also the possibility of moving from a
passive position to active involvement. Addressing curiosity, concern, and commitment, offers
insights into the dynamics and structures that govern and shape us individually and
collectively. Focusing on the emphasis areas of the University of Graz – South Eastern Europe
and North, Central, and South America – this program will offer a basis for discussing global
and continental challenges as well as opportunities that such academic engagement provides

Course leader

Prof. Roberta Maierhofer

Target group

The Graz International Summer School Seggau is designed for internationally oriented, highly motivated students from all disciplines and all levels

Course aim

Aims and Objectives
• Interdisciplinary cooperation of researchers
and students;
• Focus areas of the University of Graz – Southeastern
Europe and North, Central, and South America;
• Unique educational opportunity for future leaders

Fee info