I loved that throughout the workshop we got to examine different materials: the books, the pottery, the illustrated art, and the plants in the botanic garden and the herbarium. Similarly, the different inputs of the different experts who advised on the different sessions.

The deep interest and appreciation that I have now developed of many of the aspects and details of the Islamic world and its production. I want to learn more about the Calligraphy! The book binding! The paper making! The history of the art and its progression in the Islamic world! The contribution of each cultures to the Islamic world and a lot more!

Islamic art itself a huge topic. It requires not only specific researchers but also any enthusiastic human being, for taking part in the exploration of Islamic art and culture.

Interaction, being able to see manuscripts and objects closer and more directly. Having the facilitation by Zahra and the experts gave a much deeper insight and context to the items.

There is so much more to learn and understand with the links to our past view of health and art. I feel we are starting to do a 360 turn where the past is now answering some difficult questions the medical profession has been struggling with about the approach to wellness and illness.

I really enjoyed that every session bridged the gap between history and art.

The beautifying and healing qualities of the Islamic world is evident everywhere in our world today.

This was a wonderful programme and I loved everything about it. (1) I loved the combination of listening/learning plus doing/observing. We had very interesting talks and presentations that introduced me to the botanical/ cultural/ historic /religious /artistic context, but I also really enjoyed the hands-on, creative activities (which brought some of the age-old crafts and practices to life, especially the ink-making). We also had the opportunity to look closely at plants, whether living in the Botanics, preserved in the Herbarium or illustrated in the art and objects. (2) I very much enjoyed the interactive nature of the sessions, which gave me the chance to engage close-up with wonderful manuscripts and objects. (3) I appreciated the welcoming atmosphere created by Zahra and all the other experts, which put me at ease and also enabled me to freely share thoughts and ask questions. (4) I liked how well-organised the programme was, including clear joining instructions and fantastic venues, most of which I would not normally experience, such as the Fitzwilliam Museum Founder's Library.

I think my biggest takeaway was the enjoyment and wonder I got from every session, looking at beautiful manuscripts brimming with information and artistry, not to mention the amazing artworks, objects and historical plant specimens that we saw. This sparked conversations with friends and colleagues over recent weeks about plants and healing, and I've even found myself looking at common weeds in the streets and my garden with new respect, wondering what properties they have.

I loved the interdisciplinary nature of all the sessions. I never imagined that I would learn so much about botany, medicine and medieval history as well as Islamic arts and crafts. This blend of subjects made every session so rich and worth the time. In some sessions like the lecture with Dr Kyd, I really felt like I had stepped back in time and learned so much about how people in the medieval era practiced medicine and their assumptions about disease and health. What made this session even more powerful was that Dr Kyd dug deeper and also taught us about specific plants that were used and why. I honestly wish we had a little more time to explore the chemistry behind each treatment more deeply. Again, all these interdisciplinary elements made the session so rich. I felt the same with Joumana Medlej's ink workshop as well and many other sessions.

I have several takeaways that came together at the end after attending the full programme. For example, my perspective on 'progress' has completely changed. I now want to try to suspend my judgment about how people did things in the past because I realize now that they contributed a lot to our collective knowledge today. However, I think the biggest takeaway for me was realizing how disconnected and disenchanted our world has become because of the theory of progress and 'rational' scientific thinking. Awe and wonder are no longer a significant part of how we see and experience the world around us because we have distilled and compartmentalized almost everything. I would now like to make an active effort to awaken my sense of wonder whether through learning the traditional arts, exploring nature more regularly and in general slowing down. I also came away thinking that the best way forward for any intellectual or academic research is through interdisciplinarity. Although this does mean that we as researchers need to make more effort to learn other subjects (for example, studying chemistry as a medieval historian, studying the Islamic sciences as an ethnomusicologist who focuses on Islamic sonic arts, etc.), I think this effort will make for richer and more complete scholarship. In essence, a lifetime is hardly enough when it comes to the pursuit of knowledge!

The wonderful variety and wisdom opened to us for reflection in the sessions.

The realisation that I thoroughly enjoyed immersing myself in this so much that I know I need to use more of my time in this way in the future.