Latest news about the Department and its members, such as new appointments, publications, book launches, awards, speaking engagements, media coverage and standings in world and national ranks. We are also on social media. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
Latest News
Professor Steve Casey has published a new article: "Remembering Roosevelt - a president who made America great again"
In his recent article, Prof Casey looks at the current effort to destroy what remains of FDR’s legacy and how it threatens to weaken the US and fuel global instability. The 80th anniversary of his death is an ideal moment to remember his achievements.
Read the full article HERE
Prof Kristina Spohr has contributed the first “Opinion” in a five-part MSNBC Daily series on NATO’s future
She explains: “Russian hybrid warfare is already an established fact. And the Kremlin’s continuous and erroneous claims of NATO’s wrongful expansion is merely one key prong in this political conflict. Besides Ukraine’s destruction, Putin wants to see Euro-Atlantic community wrecked. ... Unfortunately, Putin has also found useful idiots in the West, willing to aid and abet his nefarious campaign.”
Read her article HERE
Dr David Motadel publishes chapter in new book
'Soviet and U.S. involvement in the colonial world' was published in the book ‘The Greater Second World War: Global Perspectives’ (Cornell University Press).
Over the course of the Second World War, two states that considered themselves to be explicitly anticolonialist, the United States and the Soviet Union, emerged as the world’s hegemonic powers, eventually replacing Europe’s colonial overseas empires.
Exploring the roots of the global Cold War, Dr Motadel looks at the emergence of the bipolar political landscape in the colonial world during the Second World War.
Link to Dr David Motadel's chapter HERE
Link to the book HERE
Recordings of Professor Kristina Spohr's talks at the Council of Europe's "Observatory for History Teaching in Europe" are now available online!
In December 2024, Professor Spohr delivered her keynote "History at all costs?" at the OHTE's Annual Conference.
You can now find the recording HERE
One of our alumni has had an article published in The Historical Journal.
One of our alumni, Harry McGuire, has had their thesis published in the Historical Journal (Cambridge University Press): "British Military Bands, Propaganda, and Diplomacy, 1872–1918".
Harry was supervised by Dr David Motadel.
Read Harry's article HERE
LSE ranks no. 6 in the world for history!
The LSE has been ranked no. 6 in the world for history in the 2025 QS World University Rankings.
Over 250 universities have been included in this year’s history ranking, with strong representation from English-speaking countries.
View the rankings HERE
Dr Mayhew's new book receives 'Honourable Mention' in 2024 Tomlinson Prize
Last month the WW1 Historical Association awarded Alex Mayhew’s Making Sense of the Great War ‘Honourable Mention’ in their 2024 Tomlinson Prize for the best work of history in English on World War One.
Alex’s book will be released in paperback in May/June.
Find a link to the book HERE
Professor Kristina Spohr speaks at the Centre for Geopolitics
On 19 Feb. 2025, Prof. Spohr discussed “The geopolitics of Greenland: Past, present, and future” with S. Olsvig (Intl Chair of the Inuit Circumpolar Council), Prof. R. C. Powell (Scott Polar Institute, Cambridge Univ.) and Dr R. Nielsen (Univ. of Greenland). She explained why Trump’s landgrab rhetoric regarding Greenland was not just a concern for Nuuk & Copenhagen/ NATO, but of global import.
Prof Spohr’s comments were cited in the Danish Daily Kristligt Dagblad. She pointed out, having travelled to Inuit communities on the Bering Strait and Chukchi Sea, that by comparison Greenlanders were socio-economically much better off, benefitting from the Nordic welfare model.
On the dame occasion, Prof. Spohr was also interviewed and cited by Latvian journalist Ilza Kalve in Latvijas Avīze.
Watch the video HERE
Read her comments HERE
Read her interview Is Greenland for sale?
Dr Jake Subryan Richards has won the Sir Julian Corbett Prize in Modern Naval History for 2024
Jake won the award for for an essay entitled: “Remaking the Middle Passage: Naval Suppression and Captive Resistance in Atlantic Africa, 1807–1850”.
Based on findings from his forthcoming book, The Bonds of Freedom (Yale University Press), the essay argued that the dynamics of suppression replicated the conditions of a transatlantic crossing for captive people.
Professor Kristina Spohr speaks on German news station
Prof. Kristina Spohr analyses on Deutsche Welle/PBS prime-time news the state of Euro-Atlantic relations in the aftermath of Germany's federal elections that saw Friedrich Merz (CDU) win.
Watch the segment HERE
Professor Kristina Spohr's lastest El Pais column in out!
In her column entitled 'Chancellor-elect Friedrich Merz's historical responsibility' she explains why it is imperative for Berlin to lead Europe alongside London and Paris, as Europe is confronted with an unreliable, bullying US NATO ally.
Read the article HERE
Dr Imaobong Umoren takes on the role of lead editor of the LSE-CUP International Studies book series
The LSE International Studies series comprises a boutique and award-winning collection of books dealing with international transdisciplinary matters, published by Cambridge University Press in association with the London School of Economics.
Read more HERE
Dr David Motadel edits new book
We are delighted to announced the publication of GLOBALIZING EUROPE: A HISTORY (Cambridge University Press), edited by David Motadel.
The book explores modern Europe's entanglements with the wider world, considering the continent not only as an engine but also as a product of global transformations.
View details on the book HERE.
"Embroidering Memory and Resistance"
Dr Tanya Harmer hosted an embroidery workshop on 7 February for students entitled: Embroidering Memory and Resistance.
Led by Gloria Miqueles the workshop saw students learn about the relationship between anti-dictatorial resistance and art and got to experiment use interdisciplinary methodologies to explore ideas of protest and resistance in the the past and the present.
Prof Kirsten Schulze wins research grant
Congratulations to Prof. Kirsten Schulze who has been awarded a Saw Swee Hock Southeast Asia Centre research grant.
Her new project ‘When the Spice Islands were British’ examines the Moluccas during the period of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars.
Dr Roham Alvandi speaks on BBC Persian
On the 50th anniversary of the 1975 Algiers Accord between Iran and Iraq, Dr Roham Alvandi spoke with Khashayar Joneidi of BBC Persian about the enduring legacy of the deal struck between the Shah of Iran and Saddam Hussein at the OPEC summit in Algiers.
You can view the segment HERE
One of our MSc graduates has won the LSE Middle East Centre Dissertation Prize 2024!
Anne-Sophie Gull won 1st place for her dissertation 'Shaping British Perceptions and Policy Towards Persia at the Turn of the Twentieth Century'.
Sophie graduated from LSE with an MSc in International History. She currently works in private equity and hopes to pursue a career in academia in the long-term, focusing on imperial knowledge production in Victorian Britain.
Dr Roham Alvandi appears in new documentary
Manoto Television has released a seven-part Persian-language documentary series on ‘1970s Iran: A Decade of Transformation,’ featuring Dr Roham Alvandi. The series deals with seven topics in Iran’s foreign policy under the Shah: Bahrain, Dhofar, oil, the Soviet Union, the United States, Israel, and human rights.
Check out the advertisement for the new series HERE
Dr Ron Po takes students from HY120 and HY330 on archive visit
On 20 February, students from HY120 and HY330 had the opportunity to explore the LSE Library’s archival collection. Many thanks to Dr Gillian Murphy for guiding us through primary materials on the First World War, the Second World War, and early twentieth-century China. We look forward to more visits like this in the future!
Student Workshop at the National Maritime Museum
In February, Dr. Alex Mayhew took several of his UG and MA students to a bespoke workshop at the National Maritime Museum led by KCL historian Dr. David Morgan-Owen.
They encountered a range of primary sources related to the conduct and experience of the First World War.
Dr Alex Mayhew awarded 'Honorable Mention' in 2024 Tomlinson Prize
The WW1 Historical Association awarded Dr Mayhew's Making Sense of the Great War 'Honourable Mention' in their 2024 Tomlinson Prize for the best work of history in English on World War One.
Alex's book will be released in paperback in May/June of this year.
Link to book HERE.
Professor Kirsten Schulze presents at international workshop on global security threats
Kirsten Schulze gave a presentation on ‘Indonesian militant Islamists and their international connections’ at the workshop on ‘Navigating Global Security Threats: Terrorism, Radicalisation, and Emerging Technologies’ held by the Center for Excellence for National Security in Singapore, 25-26 February 2025.
Modernizing a giant: assessing the impact of military-civil fusion on innovation in China’s defence-technological industry
A recent article by LSE-PKU double MSc in International Affairs student Alexandre Dupont-Sinhsattanak examines the impact of China’s military-civil fusion, which aims to modernize the defence industry and boost innovation. While there is growing private involvement and greater efficiency, nonetheless, state-owned conglomerates continue to dominate.
You can read the article in full here: Modernizing a giant
Q&A with Imaobong Umoren and Sumi Madhok on the International Studies Book Series
Imaobong Umoren (LSE International History) and Sumi Madhok (LSE Gender Studies) are in conversation with the LSE Review of Books on their role as editors of the International Studies Book Series. They discuss the series's aims, why transdisciplinary and transnational research matters, and books to look out for in 2025.
Read the interview here: Q&A with Imaobong Umoren and Sumi Madhok
Dr Sajjan M .Gohel publishes article in Foreign Policy
In the power vacuum following the fall of Assad, groups fighting for dominance in Syria include a faction with a draconian approach to women's rights. Modern history is replete with examples of misogyny as the ideological cornerstone of oppressive regimes. In his article Dr. Sajjan M. Gohel argues that if Syria does not prioritize women’s rights the country's security and stability risks regressing further, which could have regional and global consequences. History is replete with examples where misogyny became the cornerstone of emerging draconian regimes and militant groups operating in ungoverned spaces.
Read the full article here: Without Women’s Rights, Syria Risks Failed-State Status
Dr Alex Mayhew speaks at the National Army Museum
On Friday 7 February, Dr Mayhew will be giving a public lecture at the National Army Museum. He will discuss the ways in which First World War soldiers navigated the crises that confronted them and crafted meaningful narratives about their service.
Sign up for the event here: Making Sense of the Great War: Crisis, Englishness and Morale | National Army Museum
You can read more about this in Dr. Mayhew’s recent book 'Making Sense of the Great War'. It is due to be released in paperback in the coming months.
Link: Making Sense of the Great War
Dr David Motadel publishes an article in The Guardian
Dr Motadel's piece "Are we at the turning point in world history" has been published in The Guardian.
David writes how political leaders increasingly caution that we are facing a historical ‘inflection point’, but among historians the idea of turning points is contested.
Read the article HERE
Dr Ron Po speaks at the University of Cambridge
Dr Ron Po will be giving a talk at Cambridge this Thursday 30 January for the China Research Seminar Series.
The lecture, entitled “From Sea to Splendour: Shark Fin and the Rise of Marine Luxuries in Eighteenth- and Early Nineteenth-Century China”, is open to all. Please feel free to attend if you're in the area and help spread the word.
More details on the event HERE
Dr Tanya Harmer's book "Beatriz Allende: A Revolutionary Life in Cold War Latin America" released in Spanish
Dr Tanya Harmer's biography of Beatriz Allende - the revolutionary doctor and daughter of Chile's socialist president, Salvador Allende - has been released in Spanish.
This is an important step in ensuring her work is more accessible to those in Latin America, as this biography sheds light on a major period in Chilean and wider Latin American history.
You can view the Spanish edition here and the English editon here.
Our Alumni Achieve Big Things!
Dana Denis-Smith, who completed her BSc in the Department between 1997 - 1999, has been awarded Officer of Order of the British Empire in the King's New Years Honours List. This was in recognition of her services to women in law.
Dana is the founder of The First 100 Years and the Next 100 Years campaigns and is CEO of outsourced legal services provider Obelisk Support.
Dr Qingfei Yin publishes new book, "State Building in Cold War Asia: Comrades and Competitors on the Sino-Vietnamese Border"
We are delighted to announce that Dr Qingfei Yin has recently published he new book!
Her work looks to depart from conventional studies of border hostility in inter-Asian relations, exploring how two revolutionary states – China and Vietnam – each pursued policies that echoed the other and collaborated in extending their authority to the borderlands from 1949 to 1975.
Link to the book HERE
The Friends of the Women's Library Prize for 2024
Congratulations to Sarah Engelman (one of our current Masters students) who has won the The Friends of the Women's Library Prize for 2024.
The Women’s Library is the oldest and largest library in Britain devoted to the history of women’s campaigning and activism.
She won this prize for her masters dissertation, "The Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom and the Question of Conscription and Conscientious Objection in Great Britain and the United States, 1915-1945".
Dr David Motadel co-edits new book
We are thrilled to announced the publication of UNCONQUERED STATES (Oxford University Press), co-edited by David Motadel. In the heyday of empire, most of the world was ruled, directly or indirectly, by the European powers. The book explores the ways in which non-European powers such as China, Ethiopia, Japan, the Ottoman Empire, Persia, and Siam managed to keep European imperialism at bay.
Join the book launches in Honolulu (Wednesday, 28 February 2025, 5pm, Imin Conference Center, University of Hawai'i) and London (LSE, tba) later this year.
Link to book HERE
Ryoya Mizuno publishes new work in the Historical Journal
One of our PhD students, Ryoya Mizuno, has published a new article in the Historical Journal (Cambridge University Press) titled "Reconsidering Arnold J. Toynbee’s World History in Mid-Twentieth-Century Japan".
Read the article HERE