Global Humanitarian Research Academy (Exeter – Geneva, July 10-22, 2016)
Over at the Imperial and Global Forum, run by the University of Exeter, our colleagues have announced for the second time a most interesting summer program for historians working on international history and the history of humanitarianism, namely a Global Humanitarian Research Academy to take place between Exeter (UK) and Geneva from July 10-22, 2016.
Run jointly by Fabian Klose (Leibniz Institute of European History Mainz), Johannes Paulmann (Leibniz Institute of European History Mainz), and Andrew Thompson (University of Exeter), the program promises to provide a rich introduction to one of the most exciting subfields in international history today. As the call for applications explains,
The international Global Humanitarianism | Research Academy (GHRA) offers research training to advanced PhD candidates and early postdocs. It combines academic sessions at the Imperial and Global History Centre at the University of Exeter and the Leibniz Institute of European History in Mainz with archival sessions at the Archives of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Geneva. The Research Academy addresses early career researchers who are working in the related fields of humanitarianism, international humanitarian law, peace and conflict studies as well as human rights covering the period from the 18th to the 20th century. It supports scholarship on the ideas and practices of humanitarianism in the context of international, imperial and global history thus advancing our understanding of global governance in humanitarian crises of the present.
The Research Academy invites applications for the 2016 Global Humanitarianism | Research Academy (GHRA) from PhD students and early postdocs. The Steering Committee will select up to 12 participants. Applicants must be able to certify that they are fluent in both written and spoken English, the Academy's working language. For researching the ICRC archives a fair command of reading French is desirable in order to use the finding aids as well as the material.
Each selected academy fellow receives the cost of travel to Exeter and accommodation in Exeter and Geneva.
All in all, this is a terrific opportunity, especially for those doctoral students looking to defray research in one of Europe's priciest cities – and the Mecca, in many ways, of international organizations. Interested in applying? The organizers note that participants will be chosen on the basis of the following documents (i.e. here's what to submit):
a cover letter (maximum 350 words) setting out the applicant's motivation for participating in the academy and indicating the anticipated outcome of their research;
a statement (maximum 1,000 words) summarizing their research project;
a brief curriculum vitae (maximum 2 pages);
two supporting letters/recommendations.
This application should be compiled by the applicant and the whole set of papers including statements of support should be submitted as a PDF, with the file saved as 'LASTNAME_FIRSTNAME.PDF'. To apply, please send your application consisting of one pdf-document with the Subject "Global Humanitarianism | Research Academy" to the organisers at ghra@ieg-mainz.de by December 31, 2015.
You heard them: applications due no later than December 31 for a program that takes place next summer. Begin preparing, and good luck!