Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria, 5-20 June 2025
Deadline for applications – 30 October 2024
The Summer Institute for the Study of East Central and Southeastern Europe (SISECSE) is a two-week residential workshop, that provides scholars of Eastern Europe time and space to dedicate to their own research and writing in a collaborative and interdisciplinary setting. ACLS in partnership with the Centre for Advanced Study Sofia (CAS) will convene leading scholars from Eastern Europe and North America for a two-week residency in Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria.
SISECSE will also provide participating scholars with the opportunity to undertake local fieldwork, including archival or collections research, interviews, site surveys, or other forms of data collection. Fieldwork is not a requirement for participation.
This program is made possible thanks to a generous donation by Carl and Betty Pforzheimer.
Details
The program will offer a travel stipend and cover accommodation and per diem expenses for the two-week residency.
Institute members will be expected to be in residence and to participate in all planned events for the duration of the institute.
Scholars will also be provided with opportunities to travel locally during this time.
Scholars should apply with their own research proposals through the ACLS online system.
In 2025, discussions will explore “Epistemic Mistrust: Authorship, Credibility, and Knowledge Production.” Whether in times of crisis and war, or times of peace and stability, who do we trust to tell the truth? Whose stories do we listen to? With a growing lack of trust in traditional sources of knowledge—including suspicion of academic institutions—public confidence in the value of research is eroding. Nevertheless, humanistic approaches are essential for fostering critical thinking and promoting interdisciplinary dialogue. Participants will consider diverse questions: how can scholars in the humanities or interpretive social sciences help cultivate a more nuanced understanding of truth? How can we enhance the relevance and accessibility of academic research? How can we make the process of knowledge production and dissemination more inclusive?
