Creating a Sustainable Infrastructure for Research-Based Teaching in Byzantine Studies

Based on an existing collaboration in the field of Byzantine seal studies, the project aims at the innovative further development of a cluster of four Byzantine sub-disciplines – seal studies, numismatics, epigraphy and Greek manuscript studies. The strategic concept developed jointly by Cologne Byzantine Studies and the CCeH for the VW funding program “World Knowledge – Structural Strengthening of ‘Small Subjects'” is based on research-based teaching

illuminated page from a byzantine manuscript, depicting St Luke writing on a long scroll unrolling accoss his stand; London, BL, Add MS 28815, f 162v.

Link

tba [http://portal.volkswagenstiftung.de/search/projectDetails.do?ref=9B191]

Runtime

2022–2028

project participants

Project leads: Prof. Dr. Claudia Sode (Byzantine Studies, University of Cologne), Dr. Claes Neuefeind (CCeH).

Funding

Funded by the Volkswagen Foundation in the initiative Weltwissen – Strukturelle Stärkung “kleiner Fächer”.

Description

Based on an existing collaboration in the field of Byzantine Sigillography, the project aims at the innovative advancement of a cluster of four Byzantine sub-disciplines – Sigillography, Numismatics, Epigraphy, and Greek Manuscript Studies. The strategic concept, developed by the Byzantine Studies department in Cologne and the CCeH for the VW funding program „Weltwissen – Strukturelle Stärkung ‚kleiner Fächer’“, relies on research-based teaching and implements the following measures:

  1. Object-related scholarly analysis of collections, processing of overarching historical issues and interpretation of historical knowledge. Implementation of a postdoctoral project in Sigillography, collaboration with experts from other universities in numismatics, epigraphy and manuscript studies.
  2. Developing new, partly international courses (online courses, streamed lectures, asynchronous teaching units, webinars and podcasts) for existing BA and MA degree programs as a polyvalent course offering. Development of a new supplementary module “Digital Byzantine Studies” and integration into other ancient studies programs and the Digital Humanities.
  3. Knowledge transfer in museums and collections by training curators in SigiDoc and Dome RTI techniques (Reflectance Transformation Imaging).

Picture credits

London, British Library, Add MS 28815 (“Guest-Coutts New Testament”), f. 162v, https://www.bl.uk/manuscripts/FullDisplay.aspx?ref=Add_MS_28815.