Henri Pirenne Institute for Medieval Studies

Activities

Next to facilitating cutting edge fundamental research, and helping its different members and project-groups with the organisation of conferences, symposia and workshops, the HPIMS in itself annually organises a number of institutional activities of which the Medieval Seminar Series is the most prominent.

All activities are announced in a timely fashion in our event-listing, in the and on our Twitter account @MedievalUGent.

Medieval Seminar Series

In order to stimulate innovative research through interdisciplinary synergies as much as possible, as well as boost the internal cohesion of the Institute, the Medieval Seminar Series are built on three pillars:

  1. Lunch Lectures
    Monthly, one-hour sessions at which visiting scholars, members of the Institute, or invited experts get a chance to present their latest research and meet interested colleagues at a rather informal occasion. These lectures are also open to the public. We try to take into account the research interests of our members as much as possible and as such aim at a diverse programme.
    The Lunch Lectures run from October till June, typically take place from 12:00 - 13:00 (unless otherwise noted) and allow for the audience to bring lunch.
  2. Source Seminars
    Together with interested parties within the Institute, the coordinator organises the seminares at which members and, if need be, invited experts come together for an in-depth discussion of selected sources and new and traditional methodologies. These educational seminars are moderated by one ore more specialists and are aimed at learning about different source typologies, sharpening skills and facilitating thought-provoking discussions.
    So far we've had seminars on 'Letters and Letter collections', 'The Charters of the Earliest Communal Institutions' and 'Materials of Lay Devotion in the Fifteenth- and Sixteenth-Century Low Countries'. A 2018 edition will deal with 'Medieval Maps and Mapping'.
  3. Collaborative Seminars
    These consist of a series of meetings for junior and senior scholars with related research interests to prepare and organise and open, interdisicplinary workshop on a common theme, such as 'Narratives of Self and Others' or 'Knowledge and Learning'.
    These seminars are very much meant as pilot initiatives for bringing people together and exchanging knowledge. While the outcome depends on the group, seminars have typically resulted in joint publications and conference papers or sessions.

Programme

Other events

The HPIMS also helps its members with the organisation of their - often project-specific - conferences, symposia and workshops.

Please if you have anything coming up, of if you wish to explore possible collaborations with the Institute as an associate member or external researcher.

Previous events