On 20 October 2026, the Maison de Heidelberg marks the 60th anniversary of its inauguration in Montpellier — a cultural and academic hub born from the twin-city relationship between Montpellier and Heidelberg. To honour this occasion and the long-standing academic exchanges between the two cities, five early-career researchers in the humanities from Heidelberg University will take the stage in a Science Slam at the newly opened Atrium university library.
A Science Slam challenges each participant to explain their research project in a strictly limited time, as creatively and accessibly as possible, to an audience of non-specialists. The five presentations cover a wide range of subjects: French Revolutionary theatre, rococo aesthetics in contemporary make-up culture, sociolinguistic identity in multilingual Balearic families, inheritance rights of women in ancient Egypt, and the detection of dog-whistle rhetoric in identitarian discourse.
The evening will be hosted by Sybille Große, professor of Romance philology at Heidelberg University and co-director (alongside Professor Agnès Steuckhardt of Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier) of the joint HeiMont dual master's programme in transcultural studies. Contributions will be presented in French or English.
Founded in 1386, Heidelberg's Ruperto Carola is Germany's oldest university and one of Europe's leading research institutions. Its ties with Montpellier date back to the 1950s. The event is free to attend; registration is available via the link below.