International scholars gather in Glasgow for groundbreaking DECADOCS summer school
Published: 23 September 2026
European doctoral researchers came to Glasgow this month for the DECADOCS Summer School, exploring archives, collections and cultural heritage.
Colleagues in Critical Studies and Modern Languages were very pleased to welcome a group of 20 European scholars, academics and students to Glasgow recently as part of the Marie-Curie Sklodowska Joint Doctoral Network, ‘DECADOCS’.
This project brings together nine fully-funded doctoral candidates to work on different aspects of the concept of decadence from the nineteenth century to the present. Each student is co-supervised by academics from across eight countries in Europe and benefits from a range of coordinated training and development opportunities.
The visitors to Glasgow were participating in a ‘Summer School’ designed to provide training and support for students working with different kinds of archival material - both physical and digital.
Students and supervisors attended seminars and workshop events in Archives and Special Collections in UofG's Library and The Hunterian Museum and Gallery facilities in Kelvinhall, as well as travelling to the National Library of Scotland in Edinburgh.
Colleagues, Bob MacLean, Joseph Sharples and Lola Sánchez-Jáuregui, kindly introduced our visitors to some of the amazing archival materials held in Special Collections and at The Hunterian, encouraging them to think through the practical, ethical and theoretical complexities of working with materials from rare books, to prints and even the death mask of William Hunter himself.
In addition to these formal educational activities, the group made visits to the Burrell Collection in Pollok Park and the National Trust for Scotland's Hill House at Helensburgh, offering fascinating opportunities to explore facets of late nineteenth-century art and architecture.
About DECADOCS
DECADOCS, funded by the European Commission, is the first European doctoral network dedicated to the interdisciplinary study of decadence, bringing together 27 partners, including 10 leading universities, museums, and archives, across 8 countries.
The network seeks to rethink decadence beyond traditional associations with decay and decline, exploring new dimensions such as sustainability, transnationalism, and sensoriality across fields like architecture, fashion, food, tourism, and immersive media.
First published: 23 September 2026