{"id":950,"date":"2015-09-18T12:11:59","date_gmt":"2015-09-18T11:11:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/law-news\/?p=950"},"modified":"2015-09-18T13:01:58","modified_gmt":"2015-09-18T12:01:58","slug":"summer-school-attendees-enjoy-unique-pedagogical-journey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/law-news\/summer-school-attendees-enjoy-unique-pedagogical-journey\/","title":{"rendered":"Summer School attendees enjoy unique pedagogical journey"},"content":{"rendered":"

Attendees at the inaugural Kent Summer School in Critical Theory<\/a>, held at the University of Kent\u2019s centre in Paris, enjoyed a \u2018unique pedagogical journey\u2019.<\/p>\n

The interdisciplinary Summer School, supported by Kent Law School and its interdisciplinary Centre for Critical Thought<\/a>, enabled 40 selected early career researchers and doctoral candidates from around the world to undertake intensive study with leading figures in critical thought.<\/p>\n

For two weeks, the attendees participated in one of two seminars: \u2018From Democracy to Fascism\u2019, with Professor Davide Tarizzo (Salerno, Italy), and \u2018Inventing Law\u2019, with Professor Peter Goodrich (Cardozo, USA). The seminars, which ran in parallel, with each pursuing a different project set out by the invited scholar, provided unique fora<\/em> for critical enquiry and intellectual exchange. The Summer School programme was complemented by a series of guest lectures by internationally recognised academics: Professor Davina Cooper (Kent Law School), Professor Geoffery Bennington (Emory University) and Professor Roberto Esposito (University of Pisa).<\/p>\n

Professor of\u00a0Law at Kent Law School Maria Drakapoulou, who co-organised the event with Law Lecturer Connal Parsley, said: \u2018All the students agreed that their sustained and vigorous participation in a small group led by a scholar with whom they would not otherwise have had the opportunity to study, had been a unique transformative intellectual experience. And all participants, invited scholars and students alike, found the event a highly stimulating and worthwhile exchange; a unique pedagogical journey.\u2019<\/p>\n

Comments from attendees included:<\/p>\n

This was an intellectually formative encounter for me, and I am still working through the brilliance of the seminar material and lectures.<\/p>\n

The summer school more than lived up to its promise of being transformative, and of creating a space for critical thought.<\/p>\n

If anything it exceeded my expectations. I expected to be challenged, but I found that I learned more, and was able to contribute more, than I expected. I also learned a great deal from the other students.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"Goodrich<\/a><\/p>\n

It was critical, interesting, inspiring, intense, in depth, varied, valuable, and really confronted the approach and work of the seminar leader.<\/p>\n

The intensive seminar timetable enabled its themes to be delved into deeply and created an unusually strong atmosphere of engagement, collaboration and robust provocation between group members and seminar leader.<\/p>\n

The summer school was absolutely fantastic.\u00a0 The seminar, where Davide presented his own work to us, was incredibly rewarding, the other students surpassed my expectations, and the social environment was unexpectedly rewarding.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"AD_119192_WELCOME_Plasma<\/a><\/p>\n

It far exceeded my expectations (and I was very enthusiastic from the start). Seminars that focused on one scholar’s ongoing project was valuable to me. I was glad of the opportunity to delve into someone else’s complex argument. I was also appreciative of the time between classes to discuss the material with other members of the seminar. The evening lectures added just enough difference while remaining thematically linked.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The Summer School was held at Reid Hall, on Rue de Chevreuse (close to the Jardin de Luxembourg) from 29 June to 10 July 2015.<\/p>\n

\"Students<\/a><\/p>\n