Forum

A monthly roundup of media commentary, publications, projects and other news from across the School community.

Last year, students taking the subject ‘Sex and Gender in the Sciences’ took direct part in the public debates over neuroscience and gender politics. Led by Professor Cordelia Fine (HPS), the students held a focused class discussion on sensationalised research findings comparing female and male brains. Later, the students co-authored a statement on this issue, which was […]

When Aṉangu artist Reggie Uluru’s sculpture was damaged, conservators from the Grimwade Centre for Cultural Materials Conservation repaired the work, ready for repainting, as Dr Jonathan Kemp explains in this article, originally published in Pursuit. Reggie Uluru has been painting in Australia’s Red Centre for over 15 years. A Senior Aṉangu artist, Reggie Uluru and his people […]

In 2023 we were thrilled to welcome Dr Jenny Judge as newly appointed Lecturer in Philosophy of Mind and Cognitive Science. Dr Judge holds a PhD in Philosophy from New York University, as well as a PhD in Music from the University of Cambridge, where she was the recipient of a Fulbright Student Award. Sitting […]

A monthly roundup of media commentary, publications, projects and other news from across the School community.

Dr Liam Byrne (Honorary Fellow, History) draws a parallel between ancient Rome and America’s modern republic in this article, originally published in Pursuit. As political commentators scramble to comprehend just what is happening in the United States, one ready parallel keeps coming up. Time and again President Donald Trump’s regime is compared to the ancient reign of the Caesars, […]

Any loss of our historical record – accidental or intentional – leaves us less able to understand the past or make informed decisions about our future. In this article, republished here from Pursuit, Professor Robyn Sloggett sets out the urgency of the current moment when it comes to preserving and ensuring access to cultural records. […]

In 2024 Dr Paige Donaghy commenced a prestigious McKenzie Postdoctoral Fellowship, supporting her historical research on the origins of what we now understand to be obstetric violence in British medicine and culture. PhD candidate in history Jesse Seeberg-Gordon sat down with Paige to talk about her research background, current projects, and the importance of studying […]

Associate Professor Sam Baron (Philosophy) reflects on philosophical debates over what thoughts are, in this piece republished from the Conversation. You can doubt just about anything. But there’s one thing you can know for sure: you are having thoughts right now. This idea came to characterise the philosophical thinking of 17th century philosopher René Descartes. For […]

Dr Oleg Beyda (Lecturer in Russian History) reviews Professor Sheila Fitzpatrick’s latest book, Lost Souls: Soviet Displaced Persons and the Birth of the Cold War (Princeton University Press). A disaster. That was the fitting word for the Europe that emerged immediately after 1945, covered in soot from cities turned to ashes. Life had collapsed. Victorious […]

A monthly roundup of media commentary, publications, projects and other news from across the School community.

We are excited to welcome Lucilla Ronai as the Grimwade Centre’s new Assistant Lecturer in Paper Conservation. Luci has worked at prestigious institutions including the National Library of Australia, the Australian National Maritime Museum, and the Library of Trinity College Dublin. Passionate about sharing conservation knowledge, she runs the YouTube channel The Conservation Starter. Her […]

Dr Sarah Walsh (Hansen Lecturer in Global History) reflects on the rise of authoritarianism in the United States, in this article republished here from Pursuit. She argues that Americans should look much closer to home to understand what authoritarian regimes look like — the modern models of dictatorship in Latin America. As I watch reports […]

A monthly roundup of media commentary, publications, projects and other news from across the School community.

Dr Liam Byrne (Honorary Fellow, History) and Dr Emma Shortis (RMIT) look back on Joe Biden’s presidency, in this article, originally published in the Conversation. Should a US president by judged by what they achieved, or by what they failed to do? Joe Biden’s administration is over. Though we have an extensive record, it is […]

A monthly roundup of media commentary, publications, projects and other news from across the School community.