Port Cetate – Romania
Lead: UvA- Universditeit van Amsterdam
Work Package 2
20. – 26. July 2025
Problems addressed
Against the backdrop of growing geopolitical tensions, nationalist currents, and polarized public debates, Europe urgently needs spaces for dialogue and cooperation. The NARDIV Summer School takes on this challenge by focusing on the role of cultural mediators between East and West Europe, who are individuals that bridge languages, histories, and identities to foster understanding and collaboration. These pressing challenges are reflected in:
- Growing East-West Divides in Europe: How historical narratives, nationalism, and polarized public discourse challenge transnational cooperation and unity.
- Ambivalence Toward Cultural Mediators: The complex and often misunderstood role of individuals who bridge cultural, linguistic, and national divides.
- Political Instrumentalization of Culture: Exploring how cultural identities are manipulated for political purposes in times of geopolitical tension
Target groups
- Young Europeans aged 18–30 from Germany, France, and Romania
- Emerging cultural mediators
- Students, early-career researchers, and creatives interested in intercultural dialogue
The Questions for this event
- What roles do cultural mediators play in bridging East and West in contemporary Europe?
- How are figures who straddle multiple cultures perceived in polarized or nationalistic societies?
- What examples from Romanian history and cultural identity offer insight into East-West mediation?
Presenters – speakers – artists -actors
Prof. Dr. Nicole Colin
NARDIV Scientific Coordinator
Professor for German Culture and History
Joachim Umlauf
NARDIV Team Member in Work Package 5 Shaping Perceptions by Cultural Diplomacy as Soft Power
Director of Goethe-Institut Bucharest
Catherine Teissier
NARDIV Team Member in Work Package 2 Perceptions, Emotions & Life Experiences
Lecturer in Germanic Studies at Aix-Marseille University
Facilitator: Creative Writing Workshop
Roxana Lăpădat
Corina Kaiser
Investor and urban changemaker
Representative of NGO Streets for People in Bucharest
Speaker for Webinar: Building Bridges for Bucharest – for all
Maria Mora
NARDIV Team Member in Work Package 5 Shaping Perceptions by Cultural Diplomacy as Soft Power
Organisor of Cultural Programmes
Facilitator: Movement Workshop
Teodora Talhos
Andrei Dudea
Alexandra Mocioiu
Nona Șerbanescu
Garance Thauvin
Facilitator: Workshop on Language Animation
Alex Fifea
Facilitator: Film Workshop
The Answers from this event
Interdisciplinary Methods Foster Engagement
Combining creative writing, movement, and film workshops created a dynamic lab environment for cultural exploration.
Romania as a Case Study in Mediation
The role of the German minority, the Romanian diaspora, and Romania’s Francophone ties provided concrete examples of East-West exchange
Reframing Cultural Mediation
Participants critically examined the political, emotional, and symbolic weight carried by mediators and questioned the challenges of not fitting into fixed national identities.
Building Transnational Networks
The summer school successfully initiated a trilateral network of young cultural mediators committed to future cooperation across Europe.