European Spring School of Mongolian Studies

Contacts

The European Spring School of Mongolian Studies is an international academic program bringing together scholars, researchers, and students specializing in Mongolian studies across linguistics, anthropology, ethnography, history, religion, and social sciences.

Following the success of the first Winter School in Mongolian Studies (November 30 - December 5, 2024), held during the 700th anniversary celebrations of Marco Polo’s death and following the International Conference of Mongolian Studies (November 27-29, 2024) with 120 international scholars, we are launching this Spring School in response to enthusiastic student demand from Ca’ Foscari and partner universities.

The program offers an integrated approach across multiple disciplines. Linguistics and Philology cover Middle Mongol in its various writing systems (traditional Mongolian, 'Phags-pa square script, and Arabic-Persian), the Khitan language of the Liao dynasty, and modern Khalkha Mongolian. Culture and Society explore the richness of Mongolian life, from mobility and nomadic lifestyle to Oyrat traditions, ritual dances, dairy culture, education, and the several other aspects of the material world of Mongolic peoples. History will explore the Mongol Empire at its height during the 13th and 14th centuries, examining its political structures, conquests, and enduring legacy. Religion explores Mongolian Buddhism and shamanic traditions, tracing their evolution from past to present. Historical linguistics traces how Mongolic languages evolved over time. Language contact investigates how Turkic and Mongolic languages have influenced each other in Mongolia - a cutting-edge field for understanding Central Asian linguistic and cultural exchange. And naturally, the program will include insights into Marco Polo and his accounts of the Mongols, in comparison with William of Rubruck and Giovanni da Pian del Carpine - after all, it wouldn’t be Venice without Marco Polo.

The European Spring School of Mongolian Studies is organized by the Department of Asian and North African Studies of Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, in cooperation with ISMEO (International Association for Mediterranean and Oriental Studies) and AISTHiM (Italian Association for Tibetan, Himalayan and Mongolian Studies). We gratefully acknowledge their financial support.  

Period

Thursday, April 24 - Thursday, May 1, 2026 (everyday from 8.45 till 19.00)

Venues
  • San Sebastiano, Aula Trifore: April 24, 27, 28, 29, 30
  • Istituto Canossiano San Trovaso, Sala Blu: April 25, 26, May 1

Programme

Detailed programme information will be made available shortly.

How to apply

Please submit your application via email ( ragagnin@unive.it) with a short motivation letter and your CV.

A participation fee of 50 EUR will be required from each attendee to cover the social dinner.

Teachers

  • Agata Bareja-Starzyńska (University of Warsaw)
  • Birtalan Ágnes (ELTE University, Budapest)
  • Chuluun Sampildondov (Chinggis Khaan Museum, Ulaanbaatar)
  • Wu Yingzhe (Inner Mongolia University) 
  • Ines Stolpe (University of Bonn)
  • Bayarma Khabtagaeva (Università L'Orientale, Napoli)
  • Mehmet Ölmez (Istanbul University)
  • Veronika Zikmundova (Charles University, Prague)
  • Veronika Kapišovská (Charles University, Prague)
  • Rákos Attila (ELTE University, Budapest)
  • Erdene-Ochir Tumen-Ochir (National University of Mongolia)
  • Pavel Rykin (Inner Mongolia University) 
  • Hans Nugteren (Göttingen Academy of Sciences and Humanities in Lower Saxony)
  • Raphaël Blanchier (Université Clermont Auvergne)
  • Björn Reichhardt (Humboldt University of Berlin)
  • Antje Ziemer (Berlin State Library)
  • Battsetseg Altankhuyag (University of Bonn)
  • Sharleena Goerlitz (University of Bonn)
  • Raima Auyeskhan (Ca’ Foscari University of Venice)
  • Davide Rizzi (Ca’ Foscari University of Venice)
  • Stefano Beggiora (Ca’ Foscari University of Venice)
  • Elisabetta Ragagnin (Ca’ Foscari University of Venice)

Last update: 02/03/2026