History at LSE ranked second in the UK
The recently-published Complete University Guide| for 2012-13 has ranked International History at LSE in second place, just behind Cambridge and ahead of Oxford, Durham and UCL, in its History subject table|. The rankings are based on student satisfaction, entry requirements, research excellence and employment prospects after graduation.
LSE History Graduates - Best Employment Prospects in the UK
History graduates from LSE enjoy the highest rate of success in the very competitive job market. The top placing of LSE History in employability is based on statistics provided by the UK government's Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). This success has been most recently reflected in the independent Complete University Guide|, released in April 2012, which noted that 87% of LSE History students secured graduate level jobs within six months of graduation. This is by far the best result for any History degree in the UK.
Martin Abel Gonzalez Class Teaching Awards
The department is pleased to announce that Bryan Gibson, Chris Brennan and Daniel Strieff have been awarded the class teaching prizes by the School's Teaching and Learning Centre (TLC). Each year, TLC invites all departments to recognise the special contribution made to teaching by Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs) and guest teachers. The awards are based on the result of student feedback surveys, feedback from the lecturers responsible for the courses in departments that employ GTAs and guest teachers and other informal feedback available locally.
From this year onward, the department's teaching prizes will commemorate Dr Martin Abel Gonzalez, who died in tragic circumstances in 2011. Martin taught extensively during his time at LSE and was awarded the teaching prize on three occasions. The naming of the prize is a fitting tribute to Martin and his commitment to teaching excellence.
Reflections on Russia's Place in Europe in the Eighteenth Century
Speaker: Prof Alexander Kamenskii
Chair: Prof Janet Hartley
Date: Thursday 2 February 2012
Time: 6:30pm
Venue: Hong Kong Theatre, Aldwych
At the start of the eighteenth century, Russia became an active player in European diplomatic relations. In this lecture, Professor Aleksandr B. Kamenskii will examine important questions about Russia's place in the world. To what extent was Russia part of Europe and is it possible to study Europe without including Russia? Did the eighteenth century represent a honeymoon period or the beginning of centuries-long hostility between the two? Such questions remain as relevant today as they were in the eighteenth century, both for historians and other contemporary observers.
Prof Alexander Kamenskii is Dean of the History Faculty and chief Research Fellow of the Poletaev Institute for Theoretical and Historical Studies in the Humanities at the Higher School of Economics in Moscow.
IDEAS Events are free and open to the public unless otherwise stated.
LSE IDEAS is a centre for the study of international affairs, diplomacy and grand strategy. Its mission is to use LSE's intellectual resources to help train skilled and open-minded leaders and to study international affairs through world-class scholarship and engagement with practitioners and decision-makers.
This event was made possible by the generous support of the Schapiro fund.
Annual History Lecture - 'Israel: the Strategy of the Iron Wall Revisited'
Speaker: Professor Avi Shlaim, FBA
Chair: Professor Nigel Ashton
Date: 17th January 2012
Time: 6.30pm
Venue: The Old Theatre, Ground Floor Old Building
The Department's annual lecture 'Israel: the Strategy of the Iron Wall Revisited' will given by Professor Avi Schlaim on 17 January 2012 at 6.30pm. Venue details to be announced nearer the date.
This lecture will examine critically Israel's strategy in the struggle for Palestine during the last century. Its main focus will be the "iron wall", the strategy of dealing with the Arabs from a position of unassailable military strength. The application of this strategy will be reviewed under successive prime ministers from David Ben-Gurion to Benjamin Netanyahu.
Professor Avi Shlaim is a Fellow of St Antony's College and a Professor of International Relations at the University of Oxford. He held a British Academy Research Professorship in 2003-6 and he was elected Fellow of the British Academy in 2006. His books include Collusion across the Jordan: King Abdullah, the Zionist Movement, and the Partition of Palestine (1988); The Politics of Partition (1990 and 1998); War and Peace in the Middle East: A Concise History (1995); The Iron Wall: Israel and the Arab World (2000), Lion of Jordan: The Life of King Hussein in War and Peace (2007), and Israel and Palestine: Reappraisals, Revisions, Refutations (2009).
Alvandi thesis - "Best Dissertation of the Year on a Topic of Iranian Studies"
Dr Roham Alvandi's thesis "Nixon, Kissinger and the Shah: US-Iran Relations and the Cold War, 1969-1976" has been awarded the "Best Dissertation of the Year on a Topic of Iranian Studies" by the Foundation for Iranian Studies| for the academic year 2010-11. The Committee praised the dissertation for "shedding new light on the political and geostrategic context that provided the framework for close cooperation between the Shah and President Nixon, including the Shah's agency in the initiation and evolution of the Nixon Doctrine" and "identifying openings to further refinement of the study of Cold War politics".
International History Roundtable Series 2011-12
Following on from last year’s success, the Department is continuing its series of roundtables focusing on key issues which are linked to your courses but not a simple repeat of regular classes. The discussions will consist of ten minute talks given by the academic staff followed by a Q&A session.
This year’s first roundtable took place on 23 November at 18:30 in the New Theatre (EAS.E171, East Building).
The proposition to be debated is "Is America's role as the world's leading power now coming to an end?" Speaking for the motion will be Dr Steven Casey|; speaking against will be Professor Alan Sked|. The chair will be taken by Professor Nigel Ashton|.
The debate is open to all and there will be a question and answer session before closing statements. You are then welcome to continue the discussion with participants informally at the pub.
IDEAS co-Director Arne Westad elected Fellow of the British Academy
Professor Arne Westad| was one of only 38 academics to be elected to the British Academy at its Annual General Meeting on 21 July|.
The British Academy is the UK's national academy for the promotion of the humanities and social sciences. It is an independent, self-governing body of more than 900 Fellows, including Marina Warner, Seamus Heaney, Eric Hobsbawm and Lord Bragg.
Professor Westad was recognised for his field-leading work in the history of the Cold War, and for his expertise in contemporary international affairs. As well as co-directing IDEAS, Professor Westad is an editor of the journal Cold War History, and general editor of the recently published three-volume Cambridge History of the Cold War. Professor Westad has published fourteen books on a wide variety of topics in international history. His new book China and the World: A Global History of Chinese Power 1750-2050 will be published in the autumn.
The Academy's President, Sir Adam Roberts, said, 'I congratulate all the distinguished Fellows who have been elected to the Academy this year, on achieving this peer group recognition of the outstanding contribution they've made to scholarship and research in the humanities or social sciences. Election is not only an honour, but also a beginning. I look forward to their active participation in the life and work of the Academy.'
Nominations for the 2011 AHA Election
Arne Westad|, professor of international history and co-director of LSE IDEAS|, has been nominated as one of two candidates for president of the American Historical Association|. With more than 18,000 individual members, the AHA is the world's largest organization of historians, and plays an important public role as a leader and public advocate for the field. Within the profession, the Association defines ethical and professional standards, and offers advice on good practices in the field. Externally, the Association works broadly on behalf of historical studies, the collection and preservation of historical documents and artifacts, and the dissemination of historical research. The election will be in the autumn.
Dr Angela Romano joins the Department as a Marie Curie Research Fellow.
Dr Angela Romano| has been awarded a two year European grant to carry out a project entitled 'EC Ostpolitik' which will explore the European Community's (EC) relations with the Soviet bloc across two periods: the flourishing of détente in the first half of the 1970s, and the decade of increasing East-West tensions in the period 1975-1985. We're delighted to welcome her on board. Further details can be found here|.