International Summer School: Revisiting the Commons in Switzerland

The Department of Social Anthropology and Cultural Studies at the University of Zurich is happy to announce an upcoming Summer School program, Revisiting the Commons in Switzerland. This unique educational experience is designed for Bachelor and Masters students at ISEK who are interested in exploring the concept of the commons and its applications in the Swiss context.

Part of the summer school series Southeast Asia in Motion, which has seen successful previous editions in Cambodia, Vietnam, and Indonesia, the upcoming summer school will flip the script of the traditional summer school by inviting students from different Southeast Asia countries to Switzerland, where they will be paired up with Swiss students in interdisciplinary research teams. Through lectures, interactive workshops, and independent ethnographic research projects, students will explore the historical, theoretical, and practical aspects of the commons - a concept first developed in Europe yet currently more commonly applied to non-European contexts. The commons, in a broad sense, refers to resources and spaces that are collectively owned, shared, or managed by a community, where each member has equal access, rights and responsibilities. These resources can include natural, cultural, intellectual, and digital assets that are vital for the community’s well-being and sustainability.

• Expert Lectures: Learn from renowned scholars and practitioners in the field of commons.
• Methods Workshop: Participate in interactive sessions designed to deepen your understanding and skills on ethnographic research methods.
• Collaborative Research Projects: Work with peers in international groups on research projects that address current challenges and opportunities with regards to the commons.

Dates: 30 June – 19 July 2025

Location: Zürich, Switzerland

Eligibility: Open to BA or MA students at ISEK and collaborating universities in Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia and Myanmar. Students must have working knowledge of English, and students from ISEK must have completed the first-year courses in their Bachelor degree, as well as the Doing Ethnography course.

Credits: The program is credited with 6 ECTS towards the degree program (module group “Anthropological Practice (Ethnologische Praxis)” for BA students and module group “Regional and Methodological Extensions” for MA students). Students will have to write a research report at the end of the summer school.

Application Deadline: 29 November 2024

To apply for the Revisiting the Commons in Switzerland Summer School program, please send your motivation letter (not more than 2 pages) and CV by 29 November 2024 using the application form.

We will have an information meeting on the 16^th of October, at 18.00 in AND 5.03, please join if you are interested in this summer school and would like to have more information.

For any inquiries, please contact Molly Fitzpatrick at molly.fitzpatrick@uzh.ch.

We look forward to welcoming you to this Summer School!

Chair Derks