News
[JEP] Three Online Workshops: What Stories Make of Us — Personal, Family and National Narratives
27 october 2026
Domuni Universitas is organising three online Participatory Study Days to explore the role of narratives in shaping individuals and communities, bringing philosophy, theology, history, art history, law and the humanities into dialogue.
Every human society produces its own narratives, whether they concern the national community, families or individuals themselves. Through these narratives, a collective memory is formed and transmitted, shaping identities, giving meaning to the present and orienting people towards the future. These narratives do not emerge by chance. They arise from particular traditions, but also from specific circumstances and choices: what cultural foundations underpin their construction? What changes do their authors make to what they have inherited? What is chosen for preservation, and what is left out? How do events influence these choices, and what effects do often very ancient narratives have on living individuals and communities?
FROM IN-PERSON TO ONLINE PARTICIPATORY STUDY DAYS
For several years, Domuni has organised in-person Participatory Study Days. The online PSS sessions extend this experience and make it accessible to all Domuni students, wherever they are in the world: all that is needed to take part is an internet connection.
THE SPIRIT OF A PSS
A PSS is not an ordinary study day. Each of the three letters matters.
P — PARTICIPATORY STUDY DAY
A shared period of time, in this case a three-hour session, dedicated to taking the time to think together.
S — STUDY
Serious, demanding intellectual work on a theme shared across all disciplines.
S — SHARED PARTICIPATION
The heart of the approach: students do not come merely to listen; they take part.
Students contribute alongside teachers, speak up and share their questions and experiences. A PSS is founded on the convergence of different forms of knowledge: academic and theoretical knowledge meets practical knowledge arising from each participant’s personal and professional experience. It places its trust in collective intelligence, the opportunity to speak and mutual listening.
There is no need to be a specialist to participate: participants can contribute or exchange ideas outside their own discipline, and this is often where the most fruitful discoveries emerge.
METHODOLOGY
Each session takes place online from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. (Paris time) and follows three stages:
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Opening: A teacher introduces the session’s theme and its key issues.
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Short presentations: Students and teachers take turns delivering a presentation lasting 3 to 5 minutes, opening up a line of inquiry rather than attempting to exhaust a subject.
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Discussion and collective reflection: Participants engage in dialogue, first in small groups and then together as a whole, drawing on the presentations they have heard.
Five languages
Domuni students come from all over the world. Each participant may therefore contribute in one of the five languages used during the PSS sessions: French, English, Spanish, Italian or Arabic.
WHO CAN PARTICIPATE?
The online PSS sessions are open to all Domuni students, regardless of their programme (certificate, bachelor’s degree, master’s degree or doctorate), discipline or level of study, as well as to teachers. Participation is free of charge, subject to registration. There are two ways to take part: by proposing a presentation or by participating in the discussions.
THE THREE SESSIONS
DECEMBER — Telling Stories to Make Sense
How do we turn our experiences into narratives? What happens when we recount an event, a life, an ordeal or a conversion? Can storytelling help us understand what we have experienced?
MARCH — Telling Stories to Transmit
Why do certain stories endure across generations? From biblical narratives to myths, and from family traditions to foundational narratives, how does a culture transmit a collective memory and a particular understanding of the human person?
JUNE — Telling Stories to Interpret the World
Narratives do not merely recount what has happened; they also offer us a way of understanding what is happening. What role does narrative play in theology, philosophy, history, law, the arts and literature? And what becomes of our societies when the narratives that once structured them are called into question?
HOW TO PROPOSE A PRESENTATION
A call for contributions is issued for each session. To respond, simply submit a brief proposal containing:
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A title;
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A few lines outlining the idea, experience or question you wish to share;
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The session you are targeting (December, March or June);
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The language of the presentation.
Proposals must be submitted before the deadline set for each session. The authors of selected proposals will then be contacted to prepare their 3-to-5-minute presentations.
More information on proposals
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December — Telling Stories to Make Sense: Submit by 10 December.
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March — Telling Stories to Transmit: Submit by 11 March.
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June — Telling Stories to Interpret the World: Submit by 10 June.
AT A GLANCE
FOR WHOM: All Domuni students and their teachers
WHERE: Online
WHEN: Three sessions, in December, March and June, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
LANGUAGES: French, English, Spanish, Italian and Arabic
PARTICIPATION: Free of charge, subject to registration
TO PRESENT: Submit a brief proposal for a 3-to-5-minute presentation