From Closure to Sharing: An International Summer School Dedicated to Afghanistan’s Heritage

23 June 2026
  • International

  • Heritage

  • CeRMI

  • Menu Education

The 2nd Franco-Italian Summer School was held from June 15 to 19, 2026, in Paris, on the theme “From Closure to Sharing: Exploring Research Data on the Heritage of Afghanistan and Neighboring Countries.” Co-organizers included the Center for Research on the Iranian World (CeRMI), the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), the University of Naples “l’Orientale,” INALCO, the International Association for Mediterranean and Oriental Studies (ISMeO), the French Archaeological Delegation in Afghanistan (DAFA), the French School of the Far East (EFEO), and the Distam+ Consortium (Digital Studies Africa, Asia, Middle East).
Un groupe de gens posent pour une photo
Université d'été « De la fermeture au partage : exploration des données de recherche sur le patrimoine de l’Afghanistan et des pays voisins » 2026 © Inalco‎
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On this occasion, more than twenty students came from all over the world, including Afghanistan, Iran, Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, and France. 

Participants explored the creation, structuring, and navigation of various digital corpora and datasets derived from research projects and heritage institutions. The workshops drew on a wide variety of resources, including manuscript corpora, photographic archives, epigraphic and documentary databases, as well as collections developed by several research and conservation institutions such as Ifri, DAFA, INHA, and the “Invisible East” project. This work also provided an opportunity to address the methodological, ethical, and heritage-related issues associated with digitization, data access, and digital repatriation.

Students had the opportunity to visit and closely examine the collections of the Guimet Museum, the University Library of Languages and Civilizations (BULAC), the Fondation Maison des Sciences de l’Homme (FMSH), the National Institute of Art History (INHA), the National Library of France (BNF), the Condorcet Campus, and the EFEO. 

Organizing Committee:

  • Sandra Aube Lorain (CNRS)
  • Arezou Azad (Inalco)
  • Michele Bernardini (Università di Napoli “L’Orientale”)
  • Marie Bizais (University of Strasbourg, distam+)
  • Barbara Bonazzi (CNRS / distam+)
  • Anna Filigenzi (University of Naples “L’Orientale”)
  • Roberta Giunta (University of Naples “L’Orientale”)
  • Ella Kempf (INALCO)
  • Adriano Rossi (ISMeO)
  • Laurianne Sève (DAFA)
  • Chahan Vidal-Gorène (École des Chartes/distam+)

To view the full program, click here.

A man, seen from behind, is standing in front of a classroom People are looking at a manuscript at the library A group of people are looking at a manuscript in the library
Benjamin Guichard presents the digital corpus and the BULAC archives © Inalco / Viewing Manuscripts at the BNF © Inalco / Consulting Manuscripts at the BNF with Francis Richard and Michele Bernardini © Inalco‎