Colonial traces: learning and discussing in Mons 2025!

Colonial traces: learning and discussing in Mons 2025!

The EUNICE Summer School 2025, entitled “Crossing Borders: Colonial Echoes in Language, Space, and Culture”, will take place from July 7th to 11th, 2025 in Mons, Belgium. Under the motto of an interdisciplinary examination of colonial heritage, a multi-layered program awaits students that offers students the opportunity to intensively engage with the effects of colonial history on today's societies. The application period for BTU students ends on April 16, 2025. The program will be carried out in the format of a Blended Intensive Program (BIP), with a virtual component planned from June 30 to July 4, 2025, reports BTU.

The aim of the summer school is to provide participants with theoretical knowledge in the area of ​​interculturality and to promote their analytical skills for critically examining coloniality and power relations. The teaching methods are diverse and include lectures, interactive workshops, seminars, as well as visits and group discussions with experts. The maximum number of participants permitted is 20, with two places allocated per university.

Topics and learning objectives

A central aspect of the event is critical reflection on cultural humility and awareness of one's own cultural background. Participants are encouraged to understand the importance of space, culture and language in the development of healthy democratic societies. This debate is not only academically relevant, but also socio-politically relevant bpb states: Postcolonial literatures and cultural products reflect the experiences of colonial rule and migration, which have been responsible for profound cultural change in Europe since the 1940s.

In recent decades, the understanding of identity has expanded and hybridized. This is also evident in French rap music, which promotes cultural diversity and hybrid identities in cities like Marseille. The band IAM, consisting of members of various nationalities, describes the city as a “planet MARS”, characterized by colorfulness and creativity.

Discussion about restitution

Another relevant aspect is the current discussions about the return of colonial cultural assets. These debates are present in many European countries and are taken up by important actors and institutions such as the Humboldt Forum. Dealing with the colonial past and the associated questions of restitution represents a central challenge for cultural institutions, as well as the Humboldt Forum reported. A current volume, which includes contributions from prominent museum experts, discusses the provenance and return of ethnological collections and addresses the colonial continuities in today's societies.

The revival of these themes in various art forms, from literature to music to political discourse, points to the ongoing postcolonial influences. Thinkers like Homi K. Bhabha and Dipesh Chakrabarty call on the global community to reshape historical narratives and look at cultures in their diversity in order to promote coexistence.