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Kaplan Humanities Institute

@kaplanhum

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Humanities exchange, collaboration, teaching, and learning across disciplines at Northwestern!

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Our first HumAIn Speculative Fiction book club discussion was a SMASH-ing success (see last photo!).

For our reading of Matthew Libby’s SISTERS script, Dr. Claudia Kinahan @claudia_kinahan (Visiting Assistant Professor in Theatre) started things off with some action: on a paper cup, everyone drew a face and provided its backstory. Each character was introduced and promptly…demolished, to slyly lead us into the question:

“What is a life? What is a body?”

Great conversation followed on themes from the play about one sister that is human and one that’s a computer program. Is having a body the criterion for being human? How do we negotiate human and AI space/being a body that moves through space vs. needing + using a lot of real estate? Is deceit a uniquely human trait if computers can hack and hide activity? If we don’t treat AI with civility/humanity….are we then training it to not act humanely, with decency?

Next for this HumAIn series is a talk on 10/16 with SISTERS director Jessica Thebus (Chair of Theatre) and the actors currently playing the roles on stage, Brenda Barrie and Chloe Johnston. by @kaplanhum

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3 days ago

The first text for Kaplan's new HumAIn Speculative Fiction Book Club is the play SISTERS, by Matthew Libby!

Join @kaplanhum Fellow Adam Syvertsen and Visiting Assistant Professor of Theatre Claudia Kinahan for discussion of the script in the context of the future of AI and human connection.

Mon., October 5, 12 - 1:30pm (lunch provided).

And don't miss "Staging Artificiality" -- a talk by Professor Jessica Thebus, director of SISTERS (currently playing @writers_theatre). Joining Thebus are the two actors in the production—Brenda Barrie and Chloe Johnston, an @nuschoolofcommunication alum; together they'll discuss the challenges of bringing a story about human and artificial intelligence relationships to the stage.

Fri., Oct. 16, 12-1:30pm (lunch provided)!

Full deets via the QR code! by @kaplanhum

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8 days ago

We've been waiting since June to make this announcement! We are delighted to introduce the 2026-2027 Franke Undergraduate Fellows of the Alice Kaplan Institute for the Humanities at Northwestern @northwesternu!

These accomplished @weinbergcollege seniors will develop their independent research projects in residence as part of the interdisciplinary @kaplanhum community this year.

CONGRATULATIONS TO:

Caroline Cooper
Spanish & Portuguese

Mariam Fofana
History

Alan Silva
Art History

Vicky Wang
Art History

🎉 🎉 🎉 🎉 🎉 🎉

Read about their projects here:

bit.ly/FUF26-27 by @kaplanhum

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9 days ago

Hey, just added!

Happy Hour / Help with Application / Info session for the
Public Humanities Graduate Practicum!

Mon., October 5
5-6:30pm
Kaplan Institute (Kresge 2350)

Grab a drink and a snack and get your questions answered about this amazing year-long, cohort-based practical training program (full details here: bit.ly/PubHumPracticum).

@tgs_nu
@nu_cce
@nucareeradvance by @kaplanhum

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11 days ago

The Kaplan Institute for the Humanities invites @tgs_nu PhD students in the humanities and humanistic social sciences to apply for the 2026-27 Public Humanities Graduate Practicum, a year-long, cohort-based practical training opportunity.

The practicum provides skill development, feedback, and financial support to encourage PhD students to develop thoughtful, creative, and ethical humanistic work that extends beyond the boundaries of the academy.

Projects may be individual or collaborative in nature, and may take any number of forms—podcasts, public syllabi, short films, walking tours, exhibits, community events, etc.—provided that they engage in a meaningful way with publics beyond the university

Learn more and apply by Monday, October 12!

bit.ly/PubHumPracticum

The Public Humanities Graduate Practicum is sponsored by @kaplanhum, the Center for Civic Engagement @nu_cce, and Northwestern Career Advancement @nucareeradvance. by @kaplanhum

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17 days ago

Day 1 of pre-orientation for our Kaplan Humanities Scholars was a smash!

With a storytelling theme, we explored campus and Chicago to ask humanistic questions:

What stories shape a city?

How do communities create belonging?

What can neighborhoods, public spaces, and everyday encounters teach us about identity, memory, and change?

Our peer advisors led campus tours and icebreakers; we had a reading and book signing with @nupress authors @maggieemlynandersen, @rachellayown, and @ankurthakkarand, and editor @meganstielstr; and we attended a performance of THE HUMANITIES by Professor @zayddohrn at @victorygardenstheater! by @kaplanhum

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24 days ago

It’s s world premier for Zayd Dohrn's new play THE HUMANITIES at Victory Gardens Theatre!

“Faculty and students at an elite American university grapple with issues of gender, race, sex, and violence when a controversial speaker comes to town. Cultural battles are fought, identities are made and unmade, and people accustomed to the life of the mind are forced to confront their most primal instincts.”

@zayddohrn is Professor in the Department of Radio/TV/Film @nuschoolofcommunication. THE HUMANITIES runs Sept 10 – Oct 4 @victorygardenstheater. by @kaplanhum

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a month ago

YES! Still summering here @kaplanhum! Squeezing out every bit of sunshine 'til we see you next month! 🤩 by @kaplanhum

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a month ago

Not running out of summer here, just @leonwebsite RUNNING!

Hope everyone's having a great August!🌻☀️😎 by @kaplanhum

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2 months ago

Poets! Short Story Writers!
REIMAGINED AI, volume 2, submission deadline: July 31, 2026!

REIMAGINED AI is a platform for writers to showcase their visions of the AI future—to inform, warn, and inspire technologists, creatives, and the general public alike.

Achi Mishra @kinda_writes, a past Public Humanities Practicum Fellow at @kaplanhum, received a new Public Humanities Cluster grant to publish this second volume. 😊

Submit your work at reimaginedai.org/anthology-submission by @kaplanhum

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2 months ago

ODYSSEY-mania continues!

.@weinbergcollege Classics professor Germán Campos-Muñoz will join a literary discussion following a special screening of the film at @musicboxchicago on August 1st at 3pm!

Germán will be joined by Young Richard Kim and Krishni Burns, both of @uiclas, with moderator Elizabeth Kosmetatou @uisedu.

The discussion series is co-presented by @hellenicmuseum of Chicago's Greektown.

And @northwesternu students, take note: Dr. Campos-Muñoz will be teaching "Classics and the Cinema: Ancient Greeks and Romans on the Big Screen" next spring! by @kaplanhum

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3 months ago

We shared the @KaplanHum artist studio with the amazing China-America Reel Ecology (CARE) Program, which just wrapped their summer session last week.

Some highlights in the photos: students presenting their projects; learning how to use light meters and Bolex cameras; and hanging phytogram films they made and hand-processed.

CARE @nu_reelecology is a year-long program of the Radio/Television/Film Department @nuschoolofcommunication that brings together @northwesternu and @tongji_1907 students to encourage cross-cultural arts and media exchange with a focus on ecocinema.

Good luck, students, as you head into post-production! by @kaplanhum

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3 months ago