Communicating Social Science and Humanities

In this blended intensive programme, we bring together MA and PhD students from the disciplines of Anthropology, Folklore Studies, Sociology, Cultural Studies, Ethnology and Social Sciences of Religion, Education and Literary Studies, who work on their own research/ study projects.

We will teach general skills like research methodology, data management, analysis and interpretation of data, publishing and presenting data. Examples for creative means of disseminating results will be provided to inspire final works. Students will be able to present and discuss their projects in an interdisciplinary and international peer group format, thereby creating synergies by bringing together MA and PhD students as well as teachers from the CIVIS network. These synergies will help students and teachers exchange ideas, strategies and techniques for research, analysis and presentation, by fostering a framework of mentoring and exchange. 

In the first phase we will meet digitally and prepare the physical part with the help of essential literature and group discussions.

In the second phase, i.e. during the physical part, we will work in smaller, thematically structured, groups. Students are encouraged to present their respective research projects, at different stages through various means, so that we can work with these concrete projects.

• Qualitative research methodology and fieldwork, with ethics related matters being touched upon
  
• Developing arguments and themes
• Using theoretical and topical literature for analysis and interpretation
• Ways of disseminating results, both in traditional (i.e. journal articles, book chapters) and creative (i.e. comics, films, b-/vlogs) forms.

During this course, the students will:

• enhance skills in methodology, analysis and presentation of results;
• become capable of producing creative outputs which target a broader public: short film, comic, blog;
• be learning critical and constructive peer review techniques;
• gaine communication and moderation skills in an international and interdisciplinary context;
• discuss and probe their communication skills when disseminating research results in different formats;
• understand and learn from different academic traditions to critically reflect on different academic subjects;
• establish an interdisciplinary an international teaching and learning network of students and lecturers across CIVIS universities;
• create and sustain research and discussion networks within CIVIS among MA/PhD students exploring similar topics and applying similar methods.

The physical mobility will take place in Bucharest, Romania, between 23-27 June 2025. Students will opt for one of the two streams which will further explore the two main themes of the program: 

• Stream 1: Focus on methodology
• Stream 2: Focus on dissemination of results

Students will join into small groups and, under the guidance of the teaching teams will elaborate on their research or dissemination projects, stemming from the proposals they have made during the application stage.  

This small group collaborative undertaking will focus on peer-feedback, in the sense that students will take turns providing critical appraisal of the other students’ project development. 

During the last stage of the physical mobility, the students will present their projects in a free format, depending on their choice, so as to outline the knowledge gains both from the online presentations and from the collaborative tasks.

For 3 additional ECTS points, students should hand in a written assignment showcasing their progress as instructed during the mobility phase. 

The virtual section of the programme consists of 5 online meetings, spread between 7 March - 30 April 2025. 

• Meeting 1: 7 March 2025, 16:00 - 18:00 CET - Kick-off meeting: presenting teams, students and goals of the BIP 
• Meeting 2: 14 March 2025, 16:00 - 17:30 CET - Research study case(s) UniL
• Meeting 3: (TBA) - Research study case(s) UT
• Meeting 4: 11 April 2025, 16:00 - 17:30 CET - Research study case(s) 
• Meeting 5: (TBA) - Research study case(s) UB

Course assessment will be based on the progress made by individual student as indicated by the final presentations which will weigh against the application proposal. 

The students who want the 3 additional credit points will go through the assessment of a draft article for a journal or a blog or a short comic.

Motivation Letter

CV

Research project outlines

Applications will be evaluated based on:

• level of English - C1 is mandatory;
• how this intensive course might help the student in advancing their carreers, as expressed by the Motivation Letter;
• relevance of the research topic or the creative idea of dissemination.

• Gabriele Alex, University of Tübingen, Professor of Social and Cultural Anthropology
• Monika Salzbrunn, University of Lausanne, Full Professor of Religions, Migration, and Arts and former PI of the ERC ARTIVISM project.
• Léonore Vuissoz, M.A., University of Lausanne, anthropologist specialised on gender and burlesque theatre and scientific assistant of prof. Monika Salzbrunn. 
• Vassiliki Chryssanthopoulou, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Associate Professor of Folklore Studies
• Antigone-Alba Papakonstantinou, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Assistant Professor
• Athanasios Barmpalexis, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, postdoctoral researcher
• Claudia Câmpeanu, University of Bucharest, Associate Professor 
• Adrian Stoicescu, University of Bucharest, Associate Professor of Ethnology and Folklore Studies
• Magda Crăciun, University of Bucharest, Assistant Professor of Anthropology
• Gabriel Tamaș, University of Bucharest, Assistant Professor of Ethnology and Folklore Studies