Call for papers
Dates: 21-22 October 2025
Venue: Domus Comeliana
Format: Hybrid
Organised by
Elizabethanne Boran
Vivian Nutton
Fabrizio Bigotti
Keynote Speakers
Elisa Andretta, Ole P. Grell, David Lines, Ian Maclean, Silvia M. Marchiori, Sabine Schlegelmilch
Representing the International Commission for the History of Universities
Elizabethanne Boran, Martin Kintzinger, Christian Hesse
Deadlines
Abstract Submission: 15 July
Comèl Grant: 30 July
Early Bird: 15 August
Regular in presence: 15 September
Regular online: 21 October
From Bologna, Montpellier, and Paris to Padua, Ferrara, and, later, Leiden, medical education in Europe evolved within a complex landscape of texts, institutions, and practices. Medical learning has also been shaped by diverse material, philosophical, and cultural frameworks, which transformed significantly between the late Middle Ages and the early modern period. This conference examines the long-term development of medical education, focusing on the ways in which knowledge was created, transmitted, and adapted across formal and informal networks.
Central to this inquiry is the role of institutions—universities, guilds, and early learned societies—in structuring medical training. The curriculum relied on a shifting canon of authoritative texts, interpreted through diverse scholarly practices, from the quaestio quodlibetalis and problemata to commentaries on Hippocrates, Galen, and Avicenna. Over time, these methods intersected with new textual formats, such as consilia, dialogues, and treatises influenced by chemical and mechanical approaches to medicine. As medical knowledge evolved, so too did the forms of its dissemination, prompting experimentation with new styles and narrative techniques.
Beyond the university, this conference explores how medical education extended into the broader world of practice. How did universities respond to emerging medical theories and professional groups? How did the growing prominence of apothecaries challenge the medical establishment? What role did lay practitioners play in knowledge circulation? The peregrinatio academica fostered intellectual exchange, but how did it shape the formation of medical expertise? Moreover, how did literary forms adapt to accommodate new medical paradigms? What role did rhetoric play in reinforcing or contesting doctrinal boundaries? Finally, how were artisanal practices incorporated into medical training?
Conference Articulation
The conference spans two days and is structured around three main sessions:
1. Texts
This session examines the texts that shaped medical education across late medieval and early modern universities, guilds, and scientific societies. It will consider the processes through which medical texts were compiled, transmitted, and studied, as well as the development of medical libraries.
2. Institutions
This session investigates the diverse settings in which medical education took place, from renowned to smaller medical faculties, guild training, and scientific societies. It will examine the impact of the peregrinatio academica on medical learning and the variety of teaching methods available, such as medical debates, lecture notes, and apprenticeships.
3. Practices
This session explores how medical knowledge was translated into practice via practical textbooks, medical correspondence, and debates, both within formal educational settings and in the wider world of licensed and informal practitioners.
Publication
The best papers will be collected and submitted for publication in the series Palgrave Studies in Medieval and Early Modern Medicine (PSMEMM).
Registration Process
While open to anyone interested, participation in the conference is subject to a fee. Participants interested in giving a paper are encouraged to reach out to the organisers with their contribution’s title and abstract (max 300 words) before applying.
The deadline for submitting abstracts is 15th July 2025. Successful applicants will be notified in Early September and invited to finalise the application process.
Free slots for MA and PhD students are available via the competitive Comèl Grant. Applicants must be members of the CSMBR to apply. The deadline for grant applications falls on 30 July 2025 (5 pm CEST). Interested people are invited to send an inquiry to the centre by motivating their interest and attaching a recent CV.
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