SMR Summer School “The Political and Its Limits” 2026 – Transformative Learning Opportunity

SMR Summer School “The Political and Its Limits” 2026 – Fully Explained Opportunity Key Dates & Details

1. Overview of the SMR Summer School “The Political and Its Limits” 2026

The SMR Summer School “The Political and Its Limits” will take place from 26 to 31 July 2026 in Olympiada/Stagira, Greece, the birthplace of Aristotle. Hosted at the SMR Summer Campus, the event offers both an immersive onsite experience and a fully integrated online format.

Every summer, SMR brings together a small international group of scholars, students, and practitioners at its campus by the Aegean Sea for a unique blend of intellectual engagement, leisure, dialogue, and collaborative learning. Participants attend keynote lectures, master classes, and panel presentations—while also enjoying time for休 scholē: reflection, conversation, and relaxation.

The 2026 summer school continues this tradition, focusing on the theme “The Political and Its Limits.”

2. Programme Theme & Academic Context

The 2026 theme examines how modern political thought defines and excludes certain realms—moral, legal, social, economic, aesthetic—as “pre-political,” “anti-political,” or “non-political.”

Drawing on theorists such as Judith Butler, the school examines how these “outside” categories are simultaneously produced, regulated, and destabilized by what is considered Political.

The programme explores:

• The edges and limits of the Political
• Its Others: pre-political, anti-political, extreme, irrational
• How politics legitimizes or excludes subjects and categories
• The structural vs. contingent dimensions of political formations

3. Master Classes & Confirmed Speakers

Alenka Zupančič – Master Classes (Two Sessions)

Topics include:

• What constitutes “true politics”?
• Is true politics an exception or rupture?
• How structures and contingencies shape political events
• Contemporary political vocabulary: “radical,” “extremism,” etc.

Gil Anidjar – “The Concept of the Antipolitical”

Anidjar explores political boundaries after the Copernican revolution, drawing on:

• Cedric Robinson’s “antipolitical”
• Laplanche’s “Unfinished Copernican Revolution”
• Maternal figures as political gravitational fields

Amanda Beech – “Art and the Construction of the Necessary” (Draft Title)

Key themes:

• How art shifts between critical theory and idealism
• Art’s entanglement with capitalism & irrationalism
• Can art become political without erasing itself?
• Lukács, fascism, Schelling, and political praxis

Haela Hunt-Hendrix – Keynote (Title TBA)

Topic and format to be announced.

4. Structure of the SMR Summer School

The summer school is organized as:

• A symposium/conference
• Morning keynote/master classes
• Afternoon participant presentations with Q&A
• Evening informal sessions (film screenings, discussions)
• Time dedicated to scholē (leisure, reflection)
• Integrated online participation via Zoom

A selection of previous contributions may be published as an edited volume.

5. Eligibility & Participation Options

Participants may join:

• In person at the SMR Campus
• Online, with full integration in the academic programme

Numbers are limited:

• Up to 25 onsite participants
• Up to 10 online participants

Applications are selected based on:

• Motivation statement
• Academic merit
• Fit with programme theme

6. Application Process

To apply:

1. Complete the online application form
2. Indicate whether you want to present your work
3. Submit your motivation statement
4. Submit before 30 January 2026

Apply here → [Application Form Link]

7. Certificates & Academic Credits (ECTS)

• Students: receive ECTS credits
• Teachers & Postdocs: receive official certificates of participation
• Certificates can be used for academic or professional portfolios

8. Accommodation & Hospitality at the Campus

The campus includes:

• Fully furnished new bedrooms
• Showers, toilets, and shared balconies facing Mount Athos
• Kitchen/coffee station
• Laundry area
• Classroom building connected to the dorms
• Daily breakfast (vegetarian/vegan-friendly)

Only 13 participants can be housed onsite.

Others must book accommodation in Olympiada (affordable, especially shared).

Fee:

• €470/week, handled by SMR Greece
• Includes VAT
• Includes breakfast
• Optional extra-night stay at no additional cost

9. Programme Fee & Financial Support

• Programme Fee: €550
• Supports speakers, staff, hospitality, and programme organization
• Partial waivers available (balance of merit & financial need)
• SMR affiliates receive 40% discount
• Universities often fund participation—SMR provides invitation letters

10. Transportation from Thessaloniki Airport

Options:

• Public transportation (approx. 1 hour)
• Shared shuttle via Hellenic Transportation (€100–130 per ride)
• SMR can help organize group shuttles (approx. €30 per person)

11. Online Participation

The online programme:

• Runs fully in Zoom
• Includes all lectures, discussions, and panels
• Allows participants to present their work
• Mirrors the onsite experience as closely as possible

Fee:

• €370, VAT included

12. About SMR

The School of Materialist Research (SMR) is an international research platform producing innovative work in political theory, philosophy, materialist studies, psychoanalysis, and critical humanities. Its summer school is a central part of its educational mission.

More information → https://www.smrgreece.com/

13. Contact & Further Information

For questions or additional details, email:
📩 info@smr** (add official email)**
🌐 https://www.smrgreece.com/