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The Value of Studying History: A Subject at Risk

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“So, you’re going to be a history teacher?” This is the most common question I hear as an undergraduate History student. While teaching is certainly an option for some, it is not for me and is far from the only career path available to history graduates. Yet, the assumption that history is only valid for teaching or academia is a concerning factor in its under appreciation. Whether openly stated or implied, history as a subject is increasingly undervalued by our society. I’ll admit my bias—I chose to study history. But why? My path to this degree wasn’t straightforward. Initially, I intended to pursue a science-based degree, selecting A Levels in Biology, Chemistry, History, and English Literature. However, after the immense stress of Chemistry led me to drop it, I was drawn more toward History and Biology. The UK education system tends to push students toward the sciences or the humanities, making it difficult to pursue both. By dropping an additional science, my university options be...
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Hospitality and Hope: Jewish Refugees and the Gloucester Community, 1939

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Making it to the end of second year means only one thing… Thesis time! This struggling medievalist has waved goodbye to the 1300s (for now) and said a tentative hello to the twentieth century. In the words of my thesis supervisor, this modern perspective will make my degree “ever more refreshing” — I think she subtly dashed my medieval dreams in one meeting. As part of narrowing down my thesis ideas, I began digging into some archival research, and this blog post is what came out of that process. __ The case of Jewish refugees in Gloucester presents a compelling and necessary subject of historical inquiry. While historians have studied collectivist community attitudes in cases such as the Blitz Spirit, niche examples of smaller communities have often been neglected. Collections of vast oral memories and studies into the experiences of child evacuees both from outside Britain and within it have also been conducted.. The Kindertransport, by contrast, has received extensive scholarly att...
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Crosses, Archers, and Birth Certificates: Diplomacy as Theatre

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  So often is the case that I see a news headline and go ‘hmm, that reminds me of something.’ I have written about history on many occasions, emphasising how it can teach us valuable lessons. Many of the rituals and observances that we keep are centuries old; diplomacy is no different. This week, I take a comparative approach to diplomacy in both late medieval society and today, highlighting how its position has remained largely unchanged for most of history.   -- Diplomacy is an age-old interaction between leaders and their representatives and another polity. As part of my degree, I recently studied late medieval diplomacy, and in light of recent interactions between Germany’s Chancellor and the United States President, an abundance of posturing can be observed.  Posturing, in this post, can be defined as an event by one party to provoke a response from another party to give the original party a position of superiority. This article highlights the importance of ...
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Love It or Hate It, Medieval History Matters: How Poor Teaching of Medieval History is Failing Students

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Often, medieval history is overshadowed by modern history in both education and public interest. After reading Ian Mortimer’s ‘Medieval Horizons’ I found myself wondering, do we really value Medieval history as much as we should? This blog post is an extended essay exploring the challenges medieval history faces within history education, particularly in UK universities. It discusses how uneven access to medieval and earlier historical periods across different institutions limits students’ historical awareness and curiosity. Drawing on my own experience at Oxford and comparisons with other universities, I argue for greater standardisation in history curricula and increased collaboration to ensure all students gain a well-rounded understanding of history—not just modern periods. Medieval history matters deeply for understanding today, and this essay outlines why it should be made more accessible and valued in education. -- As a history student, I often find myself being interrogated ab...
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Through the Archives: Gloucester’s Jewish Refugees

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Before the start of the Second World War, many Jewish refugees travelled to Britain. In a time of upheaval, many opened their hearts and their homes to those in need. Historians such as Wasserstein have argued that Britain had responsibility for the situation of the Jewish people. [1] Since the establishment of the League of Nations and the mandate for Palestine, British interest in the Jewish situation was sustained, which resulted in support for refugees from Germany and other eastern European countries before and during the war. Studies of Jewish refugee experiences have primarily centred on larger cities. [2] This article shifts the lens to a smaller provincial city: Gloucester. By tracing Gloucester’s refugee organisations from their hurried beginnings through to daily operations, it will be argued that they played a key role in establishing and maintaining a refugee presence in these communities. A notable supporter of the refugees was the Association for Aiding Refugees. Led...
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Starmer’s Immigration Policies – The Crumbling State of English Universities and the Growing Need for Reassessment

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Starmer’s Immigration Policies – The Crumbling State of English Universities and the Growing Need for Reassessment By Freya Cushman Across England, universities are facing the same perfect storm: financial pressures, cuts to staff and courses, and now looming changes to immigration policy. A recent Office for Student s  report found that 4 out of 10 universities are headed for a deficit. Can Starmer’s Labour deliver a viable future for English universities amid economic strain and immigration reform? It was Monday, the 5 th of May, when I was sitting in the former JCR of Somerville College discussing the recent report on university deficits with my tutor from last term and fellow coursemates. ‘Oxford and Cambridge will be the last bastions standing,’ my former tutor claimed. The prestige of the Oxford and Cambridge names will, it seems, undoubtedly continue to gather international interest and preserve  the status of these great institutions for many years to come. However, t...
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