Research Centre for Historical Studies (CHS)

The Centre is devoted to research on a wide range of aspects of historical investigation spanning from Classical Antiquity to our own time. Research interests are mainly focused on the cultural, social, political and economic diversity of Western societies, but also expand to the non-western world (notably South East Asia, Africa) and cover issues such as post-colonialism and transnationalism.

The Centre has a proven track record of successful grant capture. There is a focus on fundamental research. Policy advice, public engagement and knowledge transfer beyond academia are also strong elements of our research agenda.

Research groups

The CHS is creating two research groups, which focus on memory studies and settler colonialism respectively.

RUG heritage and memory network

This network aims to establish a space for interdisciplinary discussions on heritage and memory. It seeks to bring together scholars working in different areas, and using different methods. Possible topics include, but are not limited to:

• the (un)making of heritage
• political, international, economic, and cultural processes around heritage and memory
• agents involved in heritage and commemoration
• contested and critical heritage

Contact: Hannah Malone

Settler colonialism as a structure

In this research group we discuss in how far settler colonialism can be understood as a structure that evolved since ancient times. Starting with Patrick Wolfe's meanwhile classic approach that emphasises the logic of elimination as a ‘process’ (different from genocide or mass murder), the central role of cultivation and the contest over land, we examine the value of the concept of settler colonialism for our own research across different time periods, its distinctiveness from colonialism (studies), and opportunities for a shared contribution to the evolving field of settler colonialism studies.

Contact: Jeremia Pelgrom & Clemens Six