Scientists from several Flemish and international research units have undertaken to consider the nature of publications on university history, a significant proportion of which take the form of one-off works. At the same time, they intend to reflect on the relationship between university history, intellectual history and scientific history. They believe that new theoretical insights in this area could result in greater interaction. New tools are also required if this renewed university history is to be pursued. It is explicitly intended to introduce modern electronic processing, editing and publishing techniques to the field of university history, by producing automated and accessible bibliographies, archive guides, text editions, prosopographic databases of students and professors, etc.
The final objective is to disseminate the results of the discussions in written form and to publish test cases that can serve as models. Another intended result is to provide a paradigm for universities celebrating anniversaries and their historiographers, by indicating how they can best use the historical output of that moment in such a way as to advance university history as a whole, rather than simply that of their own institution.

PROPOSED PROGRAMMING

The following themes are proposed in the request.

I. Institutionalised collaboration between the International Commission for the History of Universities and the journal History of Universities

The lack of scope and resources at these two organisations made it important for the Scientific Research Network to take the matter to heart. This relates, amongst other things, to the progress of the ongoing international bibliography and the setting up (electronically) of an international retrospective bibliography. The Scientific Research Network can co-ordinate and stimulate these activities.

II. New methods, techniques and tools

Request: Develop or work out methods, techniques and tools, taking account of modern electronic possibilities, which could help determine the direction of co-ordinated research in the field of university history from the Middle Ages to the present day. This will relate in the first instance to the structure and accessibility of bibliographies, archive guides, text editions and prosopographic databases of students and professors.

Projects to be formulated:

1. Bibliographies
The University of Louvain will be used as a test case for the formulation of a model of a retrospective bibliography. It is one of the few European universities to have enjoyed a continuous existence since the Middle Ages, and this in a sequence of forms (University of Louvain 1425-1797, Rijksuniversiteit (in the United Netherlands) 1816-1835, Catholic University 1834 and split into Flemish and Francophone institutions in 1968-1970). A variety of bibliographies already exist, and an ongoing bibliography has been maintained since 1973.
It must first be investigated what bibliographical systems are available and whether it would be useful to adopt one of them.

2. Archive management and archive guides
Two themes are proposed with respect to university archives.

2.1. A wide-ranging archival debate needs to be fostered among practitioners of university history regarding the management of university and scientific archives. There is an international discussion under way between archivists concerning which university archives ought to be preserved. In June 1998, the Nederlandse Werkgroep Universiteitsgeschiedenis and the Belgian Studium Generale association held a joint study day devoted to the issue at the Free University Amsterdam. It was apparent at this time that Belgium plays a major role at the International Council on Archives, Section of University and Research Institution Archives (ICA/SUV). A. Despy Meyer of the ULB is secretary of the section, F. Scheelings of the VUB is a member of the section's Steering Committee and D. Devriese of the ULB is a specialist in scientific archives. Together, they are the driving force behind activities at the aforementioned international organisation, in which a new approach is being pursued towards the management of archives at universities and other scientific institutions. A central issue is the search for a compromise between the loss of all data on the one hand and the maintenance of an unmanageable mass of research data in electronic form on the other. They are also working on an almost completed manual for the management of university archives. They will certainly be involved in the discussions of 'archive guides'. These discussions are very important to the themes discussed in sections III and IV.

2.2. The desirability of formulating a model for an annotated archive guide for each university has been discussed for several years now within the International Commission for the History
of Universities and within the Belgian and Dutch working groups on university history. Many contacts have already been established with archivists' bodies and associations. Louvain also serves as an interesting test case for the archive guide because of its long history and complex structures. The aim is to produce a finished, published archive guide for Louvain, which will then be able to serve as a model. Physical and iconographic sources were not mentioned in the request, but ought certainly to be included.

3. Text editions
A great deal of thought is currently being devoted to new methods for publishing, or rather improving the accessibility of, large series of sources. This problem also applies, of course, to university sources. Rather than waiting to see what the various national institutes come up with in terms of text editions, university historians - in consultation, of course, with experts in publishing techniques - are working out their own systems.
It is not the intention that members of the group should produce a stream of text editions. The objective is a report setting out the results of the discussion of the use of modern media and techniques in the publication of texts from the university environment. If an edition is prepared, it ought to be conceived as a model for other projects.

4. Prosopographic databases of students and professors
4.1. Large databases of students and/or lecturers have been set up in a variety of countries. Each one is structured in a slightly different way and uses different methods and software. The minimum result we are aiming it is to formulate a method for the initial approach (how to address the issue, what sources to consider, etc.). As explained in the request, the University of Louvain will be used as a test case. In order to achieve this, a thoroughgoing discussion will be needed with experts in databases and digitisation.
4.2. An important aspect of this work is the reconstruction of student populations for universities whose matriculation and/or graduation lists have been lost or never existed. The University of Douai during the Habsburg period will be used as a test case (1559-1668; under French administration 1668-1795). This institution was extremely important during the Counter-Reformation and the re-Catholicisation of the Protestant countries. Partial reconstructions have already been carried out for several universities (e.g.: the fourth matriculation list at Louvain 1569-1616 by Peter Vandermeersch; Pavia in the 15th century by Agostino Sottili; the Athenaeum Illustre in Amsterdam 1632-1704 by Dirk van Miert).

III. Reflection on university historiography

Reflection is necessary regarding the different objectives of university history, including the extent to which the popular commemorative publications of individual universities contribute to a better knowledge of the history of universities in general and, as a related issue, the extent to which special editions and other forms of university historiography contribute or ought to contribute to reflection on the future of the university. One of the intended results of this reflection is to present a paradigm to universities celebrating anniversaries and their historians, according to which they can use the historical production of that moment in a more useful way in order to promote university history in general rather than just the specific history of their own institution.

IV. Reflection on an integrated 'intellectual' history

Reflecting on the relationship between university history, intellectual history and scientific history. The different areas of science do not work together sufficiently, partly because they use different paradigms and the methods they use are not sufficiently co-ordinated. New theoretical insights can lead to greater interaction.

WORKING METHOD AND INSTRUMENTS

The intention is for members of FASTI to organise workshops on the different themes, to which experts on the relevant theme can be invited. The Scientific Research Network can and will share in the costs so far as its budget will allow. It has been calculated that the available finance will be sufficient for a maximum of two meetings of around 20 people. The manner in which the results of the workshops will be presented in written form has to be discussed at the plenary meeting. Examples are a 'grey' series (working papers) which might, for instance, be distributed via a dedicated website.

It is certainly intended to make far-reaching use of electronic resources as part of the 'new working instruments' aspect. Consideration will thus be required of the ways in which the electronic databases to be created will be made available.