ACLS Convenes Scholars of East Central and Southeastern Europe for 2025 Summer Institute in Bulgaria

The American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) and the Centre for Advanced Study Sofia (CAS) hosted scholars for the third Summer Institute for the Study of East Central and Southeastern Europe (SISECSE) from June 5-20, 2025, at the American University in Bulgaria (AUBG) in Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria.

The two-week residency convened 15 scholars from Eastern and Southeastern Europe and North America, offering them time and space to dedicate to research and writing in a collaborative and interdisciplinary setting. Participants represented a broad range of fields and institutions, working on research topics including nationalism and academic freedom in Albanian higher education, an environmental history of the Crimean War, the role of religious organizations in Hungary’s political landscape since 2010, a transnational study of literary and artistic works by Aleksandar Hemon and Semezdin Mehmedinovic, and more.

The 2025 institute included a guest lecture by Olesya Khromeychuk, historian and Director of the Ukrainian Institute London. Additionally, scholars participated in a series of immersive discussions focused on the topic “Epistemic Mistrust: Authorship, Credibility, and Knowledge Production.” They considered questions including: How can scholars in the humanities and 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?

The Summer Institute for the Study of East Central and Southeastern Europe will continue in 2026, thanks to the continued generosity of Carl and Betty Pforzheimer. More information on the next competition will be available this fall.