Border Geographies in Medieval European Writing

Developed in collaboration with the University of Sydney, this network seeks to build an ongoing international partnership between Bristol’s Centre for Medieval Studies (CMS) and the Medieval and Early Modern Centre (MEMC) at Sydney. Issues relating to border communities, spaces, and mobility are as topical in Australia as they are in the UK, and an understanding of the medieval pre-nation-state world as global and connected by trade, yet patrolled and segregated by institutional power, is key to developing new intellectual ideas about the function and nature of border spaces as agents of control. The University of Sydney is one of the top three universities in Australia and its Faculty of Arts is in the top 20 worldwide. It is therefore highly desirable for Bristol to be associated with Sydney and to benefit from its reputation and resources. The University of Sydney is also a member of the WUN which provides a further source of funding. Planned outcomes from the network include grant applications, co-publications, conference sessions, video-linked seminars, postgraduate exchanges, and staff exchanges. The Network was established with funding from the International Strategic Fund, Institute for Advanced Studies, University of Bristol.