Joint seminar of Heidelberg and Estonian Academies

The first joint seminar of the two sister academies – the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities and the Estonian Academy of Sciences will be held in 13 April 2023, from 10.30–17 at the Estonian Academy of Sciences, Kohtu 6, Tallinn.

Introduction
Rephrasing classics, science, like civilization, is a movement and not a condition, a voyage and not a harbour. It is a permanent aspiration to venture past the existing limits into the impossible. This voyage embraces many paths, from powerful missions like landing on the Moon to in-depth contemplation and gradual re-thinking of the nature of mankind. These tracks vary in the magnitude of invested assets, allocated time or scopes. We never know which of these will become a core pillar of future that is worth living in.

The preamble of Constitution of Estonia declares the responsibility for preservation and survival of Estonia and the Estonian culture throughout the times. This is a great challenge for science. The time scale of formation and transformation of these categories extend from many decades to centuries. It is natural that the disciplines that address these categories follow or at least reflect such time scales.
In the times of short and project-based life-cycle of science that re-starts again and again from the newly reached frontiers, it is an imperative to ponder whether this model fits to the logic of all disciplines and to explore whether some fields of science might need a different approach. This aspect is particularly relevant to disciplines that address the ever lengthening voyage of evolution and interactions of nations and cultures.

The first joint seminar of two sister academies, the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities and Estonian Academy of Sciences, concentrates on necessities, success stories and possibilities of conducting studies that may greatly benefit from long-term research programs. A number of fields in social sciences and the humanities, such as linguistics, culture, history, or legislation will be addressed during the seminar.

Agenda
Photo gallery from the seminar.
Seminar will be held in English.

10.30Welcome Coffee
11.00 Opening, President Tarmo Soomere, Estonian Academy of Sciences
11.15 President Bernd Schneidmüller, Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, “The Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities and The German Academy Programme“

Vice-President Matthias Kind, Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, “The Young Academy |HAdW“
11.45 Roundtable of Estonian scientists who have done research in Germany, exchange of experiences
Dr. Tiina Kala, Tallinn City Archives, Tallinn University
Dr. Peeter Järvelaid, Tallinn University, School of Governance, Law and Society
Dr. Aldur Vunk, Honorary Member of the C. G. Jochmann Society in Heidelberg
Prof. Jüri Engelbrecht, Estonian Academy of Sciences
Prof. Emeritus Jüri Kivimäe, University of Toronto
12.45Lunch
13.45Constructions of Europe in the Middle Ages
Prof. Bernd Schneidmüller, Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, “Medieval Europe – Concepts and Alterities“
Prof. Anti Selart, University of Tartu, “Europe and Rus' in the Middle Ages“
Prof. Marek Tamm, Estonian Academy of Sciences, Tallinn University, “Making Livonia, Making Europe in the Middle Ages“
14.45Carl Gustav Jochmann Society in Heidelberg
Prof. Ulrich Kronauer, Chairman of the C. G. Jochmann Society in Heidelberg
Prof. Jaan Undusk, Honorary Member of the C.G. Jochmann Society in Heidelberg, Estonian Academy of Sciences, Under and Tuglas Literature Centre of the Estonian Academy of Sciences
15.30Discussion on the future of cooperation between the two academies
16.00Conclusions
16.15Reception

Contact and additional information: Ülle Raud, ylle.raud@akadeemia.ee