Intensive course: East v West: Geographies and Identities of the “Middle Sea”.

Dates: 5^th – 26^th January 2026

Format: online

ERUA and New Bulgarian University (NBU) are announcing an intensive course “East v West: Geographies and Identities of the “Middle Sea” that will take place at online, between the 5^th and the 26^th of January 2026. The course will consist of ten online meetings on January 5^th, 7^th, 9^th, 12^th, 14^th, 16^th, 19^th, 21^st, 23^rd and 26^th, 2026.

In prehistorical and Classical times, the so-called “Middle Sea” was an engine of cultural exchange and geopolitical competition, an agent of “civilisation” in all the fraught meanings of this term. The Mediterranean connected and shaped cultures not only along the coasts from the Levant to Gibraltar, but also in the hinterlands of Anatolia and Africa as well as the far-flung wilderness of the European continent. Today, center and periphery seem to have switched positions: the powerhouses of political and cultural influence have drifted north, leaving the Mediterranean to connotations of economic problems, environmental challenges, migration crises, religious and ethnic tensions.

What is the role of the Mediterranean Sea in the make-up of cultural and political identity? How did the cultural and political mapping of old world identity shift? How did the Middle Sea engender the division lines we see today? This course delves into the complex dynamic of the region and offers an interdisciplinary exploration of the ancient roots of the dichotomy of East v West and the modern stereotypes about geopolitical power and cultural prestige.

Students will work on individual projects relating their interests and experience to the themes of the course and will present their work at the end of the course.

Programme:

The course will consist of chronologically arranged modules and will be a mixture of lecture and discussion based on primary sources:

1. Prehistory and the myth of genetic purity.
2. Classical Antiquity and the myth of the Trojan war.
3. The Middle Ages and the Crusaders’ myth of liberation.
4. The age of exploration and colonialism.
5. The 20th century and the myth of Aryan purity.
6. The 21st century – who are we and what do we believe about ourselves? Students’ presentations.

Learning outcomes:

Students will:

• refine their knowledge of the history of the Mediterranean world;
• deepen their understanding of key long-term trends and themes;
• enhance their ability to compare cultures by gaining familiarity with diverse evidence from antiquity to the present day;
• And improve their powers of historical and cultural analysis by learning to deal with primary sources from various time periods.

Assessment:

The course assessment will be based on an oral presentation.

Upon successful completion, the course will award 3 ECTS.

Who can apply:

We are looking for 20 BA students who are enrolled in ERUA member Universities and who have a good command of the English language.

Place: New Bulgarian University, Sofia, Bulgaria.

Application deadline: 15^th of December 2025

How to apply:

If you are interested, send an e-mail to the course coordinator, Dr. Valeria Sergueenkova, at vsergueenkova@nbu.bg.  

Funding:

ERUA students can receive travel and accommodation funding from their home universities. Please contact your local ERUA coordinators.