Empowering young artists in rural Namibia

Dr Mattia Fumanti, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Social Anthropology, has built his academic career by forming and sustaining long lasting research relationships in the field. Rooted in his research into post-apartheid political transformations, these have evolved over time into sustained partnerships with people, most notably in Namibia. Building on over twenty years’ ethnographic … Read more

Nina Laurie: Opportunity Explorer

A background Nina Laurie is a Professor in the School of Geography and Sustainable Development. When asked if she would agree to be interviewed for this blog, she welcomed us with open arms, flapjacks, and keychains from Peru. Filled with stories from trips that have changed her outlook on her research, she has in the … Read more

Lost Detectives no longer: ‘novel’ forms of Russian crime fiction

During the late imperial era of Russian history (1860-1917), crime fiction was a hugely popular literary genre. But with the exception of a couple of famous names, most of these stories’ authors have been forgotten to history – consequentially, copies of their work are available exclusively in Russian, and many have not even been reprinted … Read more

A Deep Dive into History: Viewing heritage through the lens of climate change

A familiar threat and a global catastrophe, climate change has had adverse effects on every aspect of our day-to-day lives. Most can list the primary repercussions of climate change, but few recognise the impact it has on human-made and naturally occurring heritage sites. Heritage sites have “Outstanding Universal Value,” as they have immense cultural significance … Read more

A Connected Curriculum: The South Asia History Project 

What do ancient India and video calls have in common? It’s not a trick question. Aryabhatta (476–550 CE) was an Indian mathematician whose place-value system was instrumental to the development of zero. Over thousands of years, and further established through thinkers such as Persian mathematician Al-Khwarizmi (c.780 – c.850 CE), that concept of zero underlies … Read more