Call for applications - Spring School "Les Fabriques de l'antique in Oxford" (March 23-27, 2026)

About the Spring School

The Grand programme de recherche (GPR) PSL “Les fabriques de l’antique” [“Making antiquity”] (FAn) is organizing its Spring School in Oxford from March 23 to 27, 2026 in collaboration with the Maison Française d’Oxford.

This intensive Spring School is intended for students enrolled at PSL University, in the second year of a master’s program (or equivalent) or within the first three years of a doctoral program. It offers a unique immersion into the core themes of the Fan project: how do societies, ancient and modern, built their experiences of times and their representations of antiquity? The program will be structured around the three scientific axes of Fan, with one day dedicated to each:

Axis 1: Constructions of time and the challenges they represent

Axis 2 : Constructions and representations of ancient times

Axis 3: The linguistic shaping of the world: languages and scripts as historical objects

Mornings will feature lectures followed by discussions between researchers and participants, aimed at deepening thematic and methodological understanding. Afternoons will offer exceptional hands-on workshops using primary sources from the collections of the Ashmolean Museum, the Bodleian Library, and the History of Science Museum in Oxford.

Scientific committee: Olivier Delouis (CNRS), Vincent Eltschinger (EPHE-PSL), Matthieu Husson (Observatoire de Paris-PSL), Vassa Kontouma (EPHE-PSL), Daniel Petit (ENS-PSL et EPHE-PSL), Andréas Stauder (EPHE-PSL), Stéphane Van Damme (directeur de la Maison française d’Oxford).
 

Organization

The working languages will be English and French. A sufficient command of English is required to attend and participate in this event.

Registration for the Spring School is free of charge. The FAn program will cover students’ travel from Paris to Oxford, four nights’ accommodation in Oxford, and meals.

Successful applicants must commit to attending the entire Spring School, which will run from Monday, March 23 2026 in the morning (departure from Paris) to Friday, March 27 2026 in the evening (return to Paris).
 

Application

The application file shall consist of a single PDF file, bearing the candidate's surname and first name in the format “SURNAME_Firstname_SpringSchool FAn 2026.pdf”, and containing the following documents in this order:

• A Curriculum Vitae
• A letter of motivation from the candidate explaining the relevance of this Spring School to their current and future research
• A presentation of the candidate's Master's or PhD research (maximum 2 pages)
• A letter of support from the director of the M2 (or equivalent) or PhD thesis.

Applications must be sent by Thursday 4 December 2025 (23:59, Paris time) to: contact@fab-antique.fr. Applications sent after this date will not be considered. All applications will receive confirmation of receipt no later than one week after receipt. Applicants will receive a response on 15 December 2025.