start

It is a well known saying that we should learn from the past. However, past events leave legacies that are difficult to trace and understand. The last 70 years has seen a progressive society develop that is supposed to take Europe and global communities "Beyond History" as we develop cultural, social, political and economic connections that make history less relevant.

The hidden legacies of the past are one of the reasons which can be used to explain the changing events in 2016 with the rise of nationalism in Europe, the return to racial politics and the debate around the future of EU membership and globalisation.

These events transcend different fields of study. History impacts upon sociology, political science, history, language, literature and education. People are taught how to "read" the past, interpret events, build socio-cultural relations. And this effects how they vote, what they see as being correct subjects and the core curriculum for schools. The result is a developing world order that needs to be understood and seen from a different perspective. No longer can we view the past as irrelevant as it is becoming a prism for our interpretation of freinds and foes, values and ethics as well as our future directions.

The Krosno State College Summer School is a new initiative aimed at international students who wish to explore the “Past in the Present”. The programme will investigate historical events and their current impact in social and cultural contexts.

Over the next three years, the Krosno Summer Schools will explore:

2017: The End of Empires - revolutions of 1917 and the post-world war one period

2018: Cooling Relations – the Cold War and European friends and foes

2019: Symbols and Identity – the end of Communism in Poland and Eastern Europe

Click on a link on the left-hand menu for the course outline, dates and other information

The course is suitable for students from all areas of the Humanities and Social Sciences. Lectures and classes will focus on socio-culture, history, linguistics and literature allowing for attendees to develop understanding of the topic in a wide range of fields and applications. The course will involve thematic lectures and discussion based class tutorials developing the theme and exploring issues and concepts.

Attendees will be expected to work on researched presentations and essays during their stay. A collection of work will be published.