The Summer school will be opened by a study program presentation by partner universities from Central Asia in the morning session, followed up by a keynote lecture by Prof. Jeffrey Lerner (Wake Forest University) in the afternoon session on July 1, 2024. Three intensive study-days dedicated to three main areas of expertise and interest will follow: 1. Material Culture, Archaeology and Ancient History 2. History of Islamic, Medieval and Early Modern Central Asia 3. Colonial, Soviet and Post-Soviet Central Asia. Each day will have three Masterclasses on specific aspects of the period in the morning session, followed by an afternoon session dedicated to the follow-up discussion and to the presentation and discussion of participants’ own research interests. On every afternoon, there will be two dedicated sessions on “Projects and Discussions” and “Posters and Roundtables”, where participants will have time to discuss and network. On the final day of the Summer School (July 5th) a research workshop on “Soil degradation and shifting agrarian orders in Central Asia” (funded by the PRIN Project – Water management and environmental change in Central Asia) will be held. The workshop will be open to Summer School participants, attendees and to invited paper presenters.