SINT MAARTEN (POND ISLAND) - The University of St. Martin (USM) is proud to announce a powerful lineup of public workshops happening the first week of August 2025, aimed at sparking conversations around culture, communication, and identity in our modern world.
Led by Professor Holger Briel, Ph.D., these interactive sessions invite students, educators, creatives, and the general public to explore bold ideas through the lens of futurism, media, and oral history. The workshops are free and open to all and will be held on the USM campus in Lecture Hall 202.
Below is the workshop schedule:
Borderlands: Oral History Workshop
Friday, August 1 & Saturday, August 2 from 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Why is there a border on a small island like St. Martin/Sint Maarten? This unique workshop dives into the island’s history, identity, and geopolitical complexity through personal storytelling and community memory.
From Text to Images: The Age of the Image
Wednesday, August 6 from 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
How did memes, emojis, filters, and reels change how we understand the world? This session explores how modern communication shifted from words to visuals, and what that means for storytelling, marketing, and culture.
Afro & Sinofuturism: Reimagining the Future
Thursday, August 7 from 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
What happens when the future is imagined through non-Western eyes? Challenge traditional narratives and explore radical imagination, cultural memory, and social critique through Afro- and Sinofuturist thought.
“These workshops are designed to open minds and spark creativity,” said Mrs. Juliana Shipley-Hodge, Division Head of General Liberal Arts and USM Education Courses. “Whether you’re a student, teacher, artist, or simply curious, there’s something here to inspire new ways of seeing the world.”
To register or learn more, email Juliana.Shipley-Hodge@usm.sx
https://www.soualiganewsday.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=62300:usm-launches-dynamic-workshop-series-to-challenge-minds-and-inspire-new-thinking&Itemid=450
