The faculty of Philosophy and Social Sciences of the Université Libre de Bruxelles asked the team at the House of European History to develop and teach a practical course for its Master’s degree with specialisation in Public History.
The course – entitled Atelier pro Histoire publique (professional workshop on Public History) – was delivered by five curators and a social media officer from the museum. Students discovered what goes on behind the scenes through “hands on” teaching, as well as types of museum careers (such as conservation, collection, communication, and mediation) and the various daily tasks carried out by the professionals. They developed practical skills related to temporary and permanent exhibitions, and were encouraged to think critically about the content, communication and evaluation of exhibitions.
During 2025, 32 students attended the workshops, which consisted of four sessions organised at the House of European History between November and December. These focused on aspects of the temporary exhibition Presence of the Past, such as conceptualisation, scenography, communication – particularly through social media – and visitors' evaluation.
The curators responsible for the programme, with the collaboration of the museum’s social media officer and other colleagues, moderated the sessions. They asked the students to deliver observations and visitor interviews, create an Instagram reel on "Five reasons to visit Presence of the Past," a text about a museum object, and an essay on the temporary exhibition.
