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School of History

Research Strategy

Over the last decade, our School has aspired to be a beacon of excellence within the discipline across a wider range of emergent and established fields. We have also striven to make our academic life and collegiality increasingly inclusive and welcoming, equitable and collegial. We aim to achieve these goals by nurturing a research culture that values both collective, mutually supportive efforts and individual initiatives. Collective effort has been sustained through our structure of research management, and enterprise has been encouraged through a programme of sabbatical leave, mentoring, promotion and an exceptional level of support for initiatives in research collaboration and funding.

Here are some of the objectives that have guided us:

While supporting its areas of research excellence - History of Political Thought, Medieval and Renaissance History, Modern European and British History, and History of the Emotions and Well-being - the School has also developed new strengths in Global History, the History of Material and Visual Cultures, and the theory and practice of Digital Humanities.

Thanks to its intellectual vigour and its support for its mentorship of individual goals, the School has also become a magnet attracting high quality candidates for its posts; it has seen a threefold rise in applications for prestigious postdoctoral schemes under its aegis.

Our historical research is always conducted not only for its interest but because it matters. Members of the School participate in public conversations and enrich national, international, indeed global, reflection on politics, social relations, and the very meaning of human life.

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