News

National Student Survey 2011

December 2011

The University of Dundee History Programme achieved outstanding results for overall satisfaction with their courses in the 2011 National Student Survey. This was among the highest overall score in all Scottish and other comparator institutions. In the vast majority of the other categories, Dundee History scored well above average. This is yet another strong yearly return from the National Student Survey demonstrating a rich and fulfilling undergraduate experience at the University of Dundee.

Dundee Historian's Book Shortlisted for Major Research Prize

November 2011

The History of the Scottish Parliament, Volume 3: Parliament in Context 1235-1707, jointly edited by Alan MacDonald, History, University of Dundee and Keith Brown, University of Manchester has been shortlisted for the 2011 Saltire Society/National Library of Scottish Research Book of the Year award. This is awarded to a book with a Scottish focus, from across the whole spectrum of research disciplines.

Police Governance and Accountability Conference

November 2011

Dr Murray Frame and Dr Anja Johansen contributed to a recent conference on ‘Police Governance and Accountability in Comparative Perspective: Centralism, Localism and Democratic Policing’, held at the Royal Society of Edinburgh on 4th November 2011.

The conference was the first in a series of events funded by a Royal Society of Edinburgh Arts & Humanities Network Award on the theme of Crime and Policing inScotland: Past and Present.  The network provides a forum for historians and other researchers to engage with criminal justice practitioners inScotland, in order to share and enhance mutual knowledge and research agendas.  The project is organised by Dr Frame, Professor Nicholas Fyfe (Director of the Scottish Institute for Policing Research), and Dr Johansen.  Other collaborators include theScottishPoliceCollegeand the McManus Gallery.

Further information about the recent conference can be found at:  www.sipr.ac.uk/events/RSE041111.php

Plants and History Event

June 2011

To introduce a new poster exhibition on the theme of “Plants and History”, the Botanic Garden and the Department of History at the University of Dundee present three talks followed by a Drinks Reception. Find out more information download the Plants and History poster

Dundee History postgraduate joins new national Steering Group

02 May 2011

Dundee History postgraduate student Eddie Small, who is carrying out research on the history of death and bereavement in Scotland, has been invited by the Scottish Government to participate in a new Steering (Stakeholders) Group, which is being organized by the Scottish Partnership for Palliative Care.   The aim of the new Steering Group is ‘to raise public awareness and promote community involvement in the issues of death, dying and bereavement across central and local   government and appropriate agencies and organisations in all sectors of Scotland’s society’.  Eddie is the only academic researcher in a team that involves representatives from many different sectors of society, including national and local government, social services, and the media.

Arts & Humanities Network Award

02 May 2011

The Royal Society of Edinburgh has awarded the History Programme an Arts & Humanities Network Award for a project on ‘Crime and Policing: Past and Present’. The project is a collaboration between Dr Frame, Dr Johansen, and the Scottish Institute for Policing Research (based at the University of Dundee). The purpose of the network is to provide a forum for historians and academics from other disciplines to engage with crime and policing professionals, with a view to sharing and enhancing mutual knowledge and research agendas. An exhibition is also planned, in collaboration with McManus Galleries.

Commenting upon the news, Dr Murray Frame said: ‘This award presents us with an exciting opportunity to collaborate with other public bodies, and to explore how the history of crime and policing is directly relevant to vital contemporary issues and to future policy development in Scotland.’

Italian television programme devoted to Dundee professor’s book

02 May 2011

On 22 April 2011 an episode of the long-running and highly respected book programme Le storie – diario italiano, presented by Corrado Augias on the Raitre state television channel, was devoted to a recently published book by Dundee professor Perry Willson (History Programme, Humanities). The programme combined documentary footage about the role of women in twentieth-century Italy (the theme of the book) with an interview with the author. The book, entitled Italiane. Biografia del Novecento, (Laterza editori, 2011) was also launched by three leading journalists at the Libri come book festival in Rome and presentations (where the book was debated by panels of academics and politicians) were also held during April in various other Italian cities.

Book launch for Jute no More: Transforming Dundee

02 May 2011

 Jute no More was launched before an audience of approximately 200 on Thursday 10th March.

Several of the contributors summarised key themes of the book. Rob Duck placed the city in its key physical context of the River Tay, Gordon Stewart explored the links with Calcutta, Matthew Jarron spoke about the often ignored rich musical and artistic culture of the city.

Valerie Wright addressed some of the myths as well as the truths about women’s role in the city.

Jim Tomlinson argued that the ‘Three D’s’ of de-globalization, de-industrialization and democratisation summarised much of the city’s twentieth century history.

 

 

Scottish Modern Italy Lecture Series comes to Dundee

29 April 2011

On 19 May 2011 the History Programme at Dundee will be hosting a lecture organised as part of the Scottish Modern Italy Lecture Series.
 
Claudia Baldoli (Newcastle University)
'The Construction of "Little Italies" in Britain and Germany in the 1930s'.
Time: 6pm. Venue: Room 2F15, Dalhousie Building, Old Hawkhill.
This event is free and all members of the public are welcome.
 
Dr Baldoli is a specialist on modern Italian history. Her numerous publications include Exporting Fascism : Italian Fascists and Britain’s Italians in the 1930s, 2003;  A History of Italy, 2009 and (with A.Knapp) Forgotten Blitzes: Italy and France under Allied Air Attack, 1940-1945, (forthcoming, 2011).
 
For any enquiries about this event please contact Professor Perry Willson p.r.willson@dundee.ac.uk.

CALL FOR PAPERS - Conference on Modern British History

29 April 2011

A conference on Modern British History at the University of Dundee on 16-17 June 2011. More Information...  

Leverhulme Success For Dr Macdonald

29 April 2011

The Leverhulme Trust has awarded the University of Dundee £22,495 for a project investigating the potential of seventeenth-century church records for climate history, led by Dr Alan MacDonald.  The hypothesis of the project is that church records contain evidence of severe weather events (disrupting weekly meetings) and drought or prolonged rainfall (causing dearth and increased demand for poor-relief).  The project has the potential to extend existing data on climate history and enhance understanding of long-term weather patterns.The Leverhulme Trust has awarded the University of Dundee £22,495 for a project investigating the potential of seventeenth-century church records for climate history, led by Dr Alan MacDonald. The hypothesis of the project is that church records contain evidence of severe weather events (disrupting weekly meetings) and drought or prolonged rainfall (causing dearth and increased demand for poor-relief). The project has the potential to extend existing data on climate history and enhance understanding of long-term weather patterns.

Bursary

2 March 2011

 Applications are invited for a PhD studentship/Graduate Teaching Assistantship in modern or early modern European History, with a value of £12,000 per annum bursary plus a fee waiver (at UK/EU rate). The successful candidate will be enrolled in the European Doctorate in Gender History in which Dundee is a partner institution.

Visiting Leverhulme Professor for History

2 February 2011

The History Programme is delighted to welcome Professor Gordon Stewart as a prestigious Visiting Leverhulme Professor at Dundee. Professor Stewart is the Jack and Margaret Sweet Professor of History at Michigan State University. A native of Dundee, he is a highly distinguished historian. He has written widely on North American History, and most recently has published seminal work on the relationship between Scotland and Britain and South Asia. His publications include Jute and Empire. The Calcutta Jute Wallahs and the Landscapes of Empire (1998) and Journeys to Empire: Enlightenment, Imperialism and the British Encounter with Tibet, 1774-1904 (2009). During his time as Visiting Leverhulme Professor at Dundee, in addition to carrying out research and contributing to the History Programme’s activities, Professor Stewart will be delivering several keynote public lectures on Dundee, Empire, and Global History, the full details of which will be announced shortly.

Prestigious award for Dr Van Ittersum

2 February 2011

Congratulations to Dr. Martine van Ittersum who has been awarded an Erasmus Lectureship on the History and Civilization of The Netherlands and Flanders by Harvard University. History Research Online

Crime and Policing: Past and Present Workshop

2 February 2011

  The History Programme recently co-sponsored a one-day Knowledge Exchange Workshop on Crime and Policing: Past and Present with the Scottish Institute for Policing Research (SIPR) at the University of Dundee. This was the first in a planned series of events intended to provide a unique forum for historians and other academics to engage with crime and policing professionals, with the aim of sharing and enhancing mutual knowledge and research agendas.