Copenhagen-Exeter Workshop 8-9 May 2024
On 8-9 May 2024, researchers from the Centre for Culture and the Mind (CULTMIND) at the University of Copenhagen and the Humanities and Social Sciences Mental Health Research Network (HASSMHRN) at the University of Exeter came together in Copenhagen, to share interdisciplinary insights and common challenges in mental health research while identifying possible areas for future collaboration. Participants came from various disciplinary backgrounds, from art history to public health, and included scholars at vastly different career stages.
The first day of the workshop, which took place in Kanalhuset in Christianshavn, began with a round of short introductions from all participants, before moving into the first of three focussed discussion sessions. This first session, on the possibilities and challenges of doing humanities and social sciences research on mental health, was moderated by Gabriel Abarca-Brown and Cristian Montenegro. A key question within this was how to collaborate with clinical colleagues, institutions, and agendas. Several important themes emerged in the ensuing discussion, especially around what counts as “critique” and for whom, translation, and making humanities and social science research accessible not only to clinical partners but a wider set of “publics”.
After lunch, participants were invited to ‘walk and talk’ in groups of three or four, enabling them to learn more about one another’s research, exchange ideas, and identify potential collaborations while taking advantage of the sun and picturesque surroundings. A second discussion session followed on engaged and impactful research, moderated by Jana Funke and Peter Leese. Participants were emphatic on the importance of approaching engagement as more than an afterthought or an additional extra, offering cautionary tales, and shared strategies for navigating institutional expectations and funding requirements while doing research that is genuinely meaningful to communities. Doubts about contemporary one-size-fits-all approaches to engagement were expressed, considering the differences between how history, anthropology, or literary studies produce knowledge and tend to structure opportunities for engaging research participants, stakeholders, and the wider public.
The final hour of the first day of the workshop was dedicated to a creative workshop, led by Christina Fogarasi and Chris Sandal-Wilson. Participants were invited to take a moment, quote, story, or argument from their research, and to respond to it creatively however they saw fit, whether through fiction, drawing, or a playlist. Moving from a more academic engagement with research to a different register of engagement brought new energy to the group, and the reflective discussion that followed identified both the need for finding pleasure in study and the difficulty for early career researchers posed by the lack of recognition or value often afforded to ‘non-academic’ writing or art institutionally. Many participants emphasized the importance of creativity and imaginative thinking for their scholarly work, explaining how creative engagement and academic analysis can be fully compatible and reinforce each other. Conversations continued over drinks and dinner.
The second day, which took place at the University of Copenhagen, opened with the third and final discussion session, on innovative teaching and supervision, moderated by Lamia Moghnieh and Rosie Jones McVey. As well as sharing syllabi and experiences, participants were encouraged to reflect on opportunities to collaborate, which resulted in an exciting discussion about possible retreats, summer schools, or PhD intensive courses. The importance of interdisciplinarity in teaching was another key theme, with the doctoral students in the room noting the importance of being supported by supervisors who were open to a range of approaches and methods and able to signpost further guidance even if not themselves experts.
The final sessions of the workshop saw participants identify key issues or areas of interest from across the preceding day and a half, and focussed discussion on how to take these forwards. A possible co-authored publication, building on the discussion of critique and translation from the first day, and a step-by-step plan for developing collaborations around teaching and supporting interdisciplinary exchange, both drew enthusiastic support from participants. From both groups, there was a clear appetite for future collaboration, and we hope that the workshop, with its emphasis on creating as much space for exchange and focused discussion as possible, will have laid strong foundations for a long-term, warm partnership between researchers at Copenhagen and Exeter.