Writing Practices: Historical and Philosophical Perspectives
This inaugural Rome–Nuremberg–Oxford Postgraduate Summer School aims to be a yearly event – a forum of teaching and learning dedicated to discussing new methods and avenues of research in the humanities. The first installment of our summer school is dedicated to writing and the acquisition of the writing practices and techniques necessary for a researcher. We plan to offer historical and philosophical perspectives on writing drafts and moving from manuscript form to publication.
Date: September 22 – 25, 2026
Venue: Villa Maria, the Rome campus of Australian Catholic University (Largo Giovanni Berchet 4, 00152 Rome, Italy)
Organizers: Prof. Dr. Dana Jalobeanu (UTN), Prof. Dr. Peter Anstey (ACU)
Program
The summer school will bring together an interdisciplinary group of PhD and master’s students in an intensive program of training through coursework, presentations with feedback sessions and group discussions.
For this inaugural summer school, we will focus on practices of writing in the humanities (such as writing in drafts, incorporating feed-back, looking beyond the literature search, and discussing ideas).
Students will have the opportunity to present and discuss their own drafts and will receive feedback and advice for writing and publishing their first article. The program will include:
- Collaborative sessions of academic writing
- Short and intensive reading groups
- Evening lectures.
We will learn not only how to write, re-write, present, and navigate the road to publication, but also how leading thinkers of the past tackled similar problems (for example, Francis Bacon wrote seventeen drafts of the Novum organum).
Cost: Registration is free, but participants are expected to cover their own costs for transport, accommodation, and meals. Students will be accommodated at the Convent of the Franciscan Sisters of the Cross of Lebanon in double or triple rooms.
Academic Instructors
- Prof. Peter Anstey (Catholic University of Australia)
- Prof. Anne Brewer (Catholic University of Australia)
- Dr. Raphaële Garrod (Oxford University)
- Dr. Rodolfo Garau (University of Technology Nuremberg)
- Prof. Dana Jalobeanu (University of Technology Nuremberg / University of Bucharest)
- Prof. Gyburg Uhlmann (University of Technology Nuremberg)
Accommodation
Franciscan Sisters of the Lebanon Cross
Via Fratelli Bandiera, 19
00152 Rome
Italy
Room options
- 1 x 3-bed room @ €36 per night = €148 per person
- 7 x 2-bed room @ €41 per night = €164 per person
Please note: Please do not contact the Franciscan Sisters directly: once your application is accepted, send your reservation request to Prof. Anstey or Prof. Jalobeanu.
Application
Interested in applying? Send us a 500-word abstract of your project / draft paper, a short CV and a letter of support from your thesis supervisor by 17 April 2026.
The results will be communicated by 22 April. Fulltime attendance only; students are expected to stay for four nights.
Certification: All participating students will receive a Certificate of Participation at the completion of the summer school.
Submit your abstract, CV and letter of support to peter.anstey@acu.edu.au and daniela.jalobeanu@utn.de