“It was my first time at NSU and I found myself quickly welcomed to this friendly and established community that NSU seems to be, with its own vision based on democratic values. In this community I found artists, scholars, students and professionals in different fields working together, learning together, sharing ideas as well as days and evenings during this week-long meeting in Lithuania. I was very happy to have found a circle in NSU with a theme that exactly fitted my academic interest. I found the discussions in my circle to be very enriching and they would often flow smoothly over from the organized sessions to the hours when we didn’t have anything specifically planned. I also enjoyed the opportunity of visiting other groups which once led me to a collective reading of medieval travel accounts in the botanical gardens of Palanga which was the location of this year’s summer session. Other memories that dwell with me now that I reflect back on the week are discussions about space aesthetics on the beach, an excursion to the neighbouring city Klaipeda and a place-making workshop with new friends from around the world. During the week, we seemed to be enveloped by a magical curtain of time keeping us temporarily apart from our everyday life and endeavors while I do believe that this time will also in some way or another contribute to and inspire our everyday pursuits.”

Sólrún Una Þorláksdóttir, Circle 6 “Nordic Environmental Ethics”

“The summer session of the NSU was an incredibly rewarding experience, both from a human and academic point of view. I got the opportunity to engage in intellectual discussion with a wide range of people, from curious and informed graduate students such as myself to high-level academics in your field (in my case Philosophy), but also artists and people completely different from your own circle, such as visual artists, dancers, musicians, and scientists. This very rich environment is not only academic. You get to also live a wonderful human experience, as you engage in fun activities also, such as dancing, karaoke, and 1-day excursions. The beautiful city of Palanga in Lithuania, with its wonderful beaches, green forests, and lively activity, was an absolutely incredible location. Coming from Chile was a completely novel and enriching experience.”

Gabriel Vidal, Study Circle 6 “Nordic Environmental Ethics”

“I think that the program of our circle was very well organized and balanced. Maybe I added more workshops, master classes and some practical things, but what we had was already great.
I wanted to talk and listen more about the accessibility of heritage for people, and social groups. And connection it with Digital Tools and Digital Opportunities. What happens to heritage when we open digital museums or digitize memory work? I think this is a very controversial topic  for society.
But I think we did very well to make a picture of a possible understanding of heritage beyond institutional definitions, we were able to look at and talk about more inclusive and experiential approaches to dealing with heritage, how these approaches enrich our understanding of heritage, and how they bring together conservation practices and active community participation (as the most important part of the heritage process).  I am very greatful that we worked together with people who working with heritage on different levels and  creating the best world, thank you so much.”

Anhelina Branitskaya, Study Circle 1 “Place of Heritage in Interdisciplinarity”