It will soon be fifty years since we experienced what some call the humanities crisis: university humanities departments are, at best, seeing their budgets or staff numbers reduced from year to year, or, at worst, being forced to close. Does this reflect the inability of certain academic circles to renew themselves and “keep up with the times”? Or is it simply because students are less and less interested in this type of study? And what can these departments do to reinvigorate their students’ interest in the arts and citizenship that are needed now more than ever?

With Basile Zimmermann (author) and Marco De Francesco (illustrator), we’ll be tackling these questions in connection with the publication of their book Humanités Populaires, la Culture des Objets.

Basile Zimmermann is a lecturer and researcher at the University of Geneva. He runs the Confucius Institute and is particularly interested in Asia and digital objects and cultures.

Marco De Francesco is a digital craftsman based in Lausanne.

The discussion will take place under the yurt at the Bains des Pâquis, free admission. The presentation will be illustrated by Marco