Lecture
Why Humanities? Italian studies
- Date
- Tuesday 11 March 2025
- Time
- Explanation
- No registration necessary.
- Address
-
University Library
Witte Singel 27
2311 BG Leiden - Room
- Vossius room
The cuts to higher education announced by the government have caused much concern in- and outside the academic sector. The consequences of the proposed cuts for the Humanities department have become clear over the past months: many language studies will have to downsize significantly, or will be merged into broader programs. For Italian studies, the outlook was particularly grim: the program was in danger of being discontinued entirely. Fortunately, this decision has been reversed, but the fragile position of smaller language programs remains a source of concern.
Under the title “Why Humanities?” four meetings took place in Leiden University Library in the second half of 2024, to highlight the importance of endangered fields of study and research. Italian language and culture will be the topic of our next meeting.
On March 11, we will show the importance of Italian and Italy for Dutch culture: throughout the centuries, and until today, Italy has been an important source of inspiration for scholars, writers, musicians and artists. That is why the study of Italian is not only important for scholars of Italian, but also for (among others) classics scholars, art historians and musicologists. UBL's Special Collection is rich in publications and archival documents that illuminate our special connection with Italy.
Speakers will include: classicist Christoph Pieper, who will speak on Petrarch's influence on Neo-Latin poetry; singer Margot Kalse, who will perform Italian songs of Constantijn Huygens; art historian Saskia Cohen-Willner, who will speak about Italian influences in Karel van Mander's Schilder-boeck; and historian Pieter Slaman, who will speak about the influence of the Bolognese model on the structure of Leiden University. Carmen van den Bergh, lecturer in Italian literature and chair of the program, will also take the floor.
Events about the importance of the humanities, lectures by humanities researchers, for an audience largely consisting of humanities scholars – isn't this preaching to the choir? The answer is: yes, if the aim of the event were to 'convince.' But this audience does not need convincing.
Therefore, the goal is not to conduct a debate, but rather to create a space for reflection where researchers, lecturers, and students can pause to consider questions that they themselves may not always have immediate answers to. By taking the time to engage in dialogue and reflect collectively on the position of humanities scholars, these events aim to better equip scholars for conversations with those who may be less supportive. Nuance and reflection do not preclude a polemical stance or a compelling narrative; on the contrary.