Unimc Invites students of the European Reform University Alliance (ERUA) to participate in the Winter School “The Weave of Symbols: An Intercultural Journey Between Asia and Europe” that will take place at the University of Macerata from 9 to 11 December 2026.
The course has also an online component which will be presented the whole event.
Description of the course
The course is structured as follow:
Pre-event:
2hrs online meeting before the Winter school (around mid-November) in order to explain the whole event, share the preparatory reading list of each lecture and present the required materials to participate in the workshops. The session is recorded to be shared with students unable to participate.
1st day
9.30–11.00: lecture by Professor Chiara Gasparini (University of Oregon / Visiting Professor at the University of Macerata), Global Circulation of Local Manufacture, and the Migration and Consumption of Textile Products between China, Central Asia and Europe.
11.00–12.30: lecture by Professor Chiara Barbati (University of Pisa), Sogdian Cultural Transfer in Central Asia and China.
14.00–18.00: workshop by Professor Chiara Gasparini (and other speakers) on the analysis and reading of different textile weaves from Asia to Europe, from the past to the present. Students will be provided with a small microscope that will enable them to identify the various textures and know how to place them historically and geographically.
2nd day
9.30–11.00: lecture by Professor Marco Meccarelli (University of Catania), Sharing and mirroring: contemporary contaminations between China and the West in painting and calligraphy.
11.00–12.30: lecture by Dr. Zlatka Dimitrova (New Bulgarian University and National Gallery, Sofia), From the Silk Road to the Museum: Asian Art, Cultural Transfer, and European Collections.
14.00–18.00: workshop by Professor Chiara Barbati on Material Philology and Cross-Cultural Communication in the Tarim Basin. With a focus on the Iranian-Central Asian setting in the Tarim Basin between late antiquity and the early Middle Ages, the workshop aims to encourage participants to explore cross-cultural communication in private, public and religious spheres. We will find out how terminological research, alongside the study of book formats and the physical analysis of manuscripts, collectively provide crucial insights into how communities and social groups interacted within a culturally heterogeneous space.
3rd day
9.30–12.30: lecture by Professor Karolina Mazurowska (SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities), The Cost of Contact: Material Exchange, Cognitive Styles, and Acculturation.
11.00–12.30: lecture by Professor Selusi Ambrogio (University of Macerata), The Weave of Chinese Contemporary Philosophy: Intercultural and Universal Thinking in Action.
14.00–18.00: workshop by Professor Chiara Gasparini (and other speakers) in which students will be guided to create artistic artefacts in the style of icons (from Buddhism to the Christian world) while respecting the inherent numerology and symbology, thereby allowing for direct comparisons and an understanding of the correlation between expressive forms that are only apparently incommunicable.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
- Become aware of the globalized nature of human circulation of products and ideas, specifically within Est-Asia, Central Asia and Europe.
- Understand and explain the key concepts and debates within the field of Intercultural Iconography, Arts, Philosophy, and History with a specific focus on Asia and Europe.
- Recognize the limitations of Eurocentric frameworks to appreciate classical and modern circulation of ideas, concepts and artefacts which shaped and still shapes cultural identities.
- Ability to analyse artefacts (i.e., from paintings to textiles), as well as literary and philosophical texts as the products of continuous hybridization and recreation
- Identify and compare different theoretical approaches to the investigation of cultural expressions (e.g., iconographic, material, religious, philosophical, linguistic, etc.) from an intercultural framework
- Develop and present a critical approach and an elaborated reflection demonstrating original thinking and interdisciplinary awareness
- Being able to work effectively in small international groups
Assessment methods
Evaluation of active participations during lectures and workshops. Ability to analyse textiles or filmographic patterns during the first two workshops. Evaluation of manufactures or artefacts produced during the last workshop.
Who can apply?
The course is open to 35 (5 for each of the 7 institutions) with the possibility of taking advantage of places not used by other partner universities.
The corse is open to Bachelor and Master students with a solid interest in intercultural and a cross-disciplinary practices.
How to apply
Students can apply filling in the application form by 29 October 2026.
The following documents will be required for the application:
- A cover letter explaining their strong interest in the semester course and how this activity might contribute to their personal learning/researching path.
If you have any other administrative questions about the course, please contact your local ERUA team at your university or Unimc local team (tobia.ciarrocchi@unimc.it).
