About the Centre
The Raphael Samuel History Centre is a research and educational centre devoted to encouraging the widest possible participation in historical research and debate. The RSHC has a large programme of research, teaching, and public events. We work with universities, museums, libraries, and schools, to create new forums for historical education and discussion. The Raphael Samuel History Centre is a three-way partnership between the University of East London (UEL), Birkbeck, University of London and the Bishopsgate Institute.
History
The Raphael Samuel History Centre was founded in 1995 to promote research into the modern history of East London. Since then its remit has broadened to London history in general and especially the history of the Thames Gateway; comparative metropolitan histories; memory studies; and psychoanalytic approaches to history. The Centre is interdisciplinary in approach, combining the interests of social and cultural historians with those of researchers in adjacent disciplines, especially cultural and political studies, English literature, and human geography. In September 2009, the Centre was relaunched as a three-way partnership between the University of East London (UEL), Birkbeck, University of London and the Bishopsgate Institute. This partnership enables a substantial expansion of the Centre's work on many fronts, including new research projects, collaborative study programmes and a major 'Young History Workshop’ project for secondary schools. The eventual aim is to for the centre to become a national hub for historians working at all levels, however experienced.
Objectives
- To generate a multi-pronged programme of high quality research
- To disseminate the results of this research through publications, lectures, seminars, conferences and symposia
- To generate bids for externally-funded research projects
- To stimulate historical discussion and debate through public events and media
- To develop a cohort of postgraduate students and postdoctoral researchers
- To work with the Bishopsgate Institute library to develop the Raphael Samuel Archive
- To promote strong links between academic History and schools-taught History, so as to foster greater awareness of, and enthusiasm for History among young people.
- To work with existing local history organisations to promote local-historical initiatives across London.
Funding
The RSHC is presently funded by the University of East London and Birkbeck College, each of whom contribute £5000 to its annual budget. The Centre employs an administrator (.2FTE), whose salary is paid by UEL.
The financial relationship between UEL and Birkbeck College is regulated by a ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ between the two universities.
Operation and Management
Directors: the RSHC is presently directed by Professor Barbara Taylor (University of East London), Dr Matt Cook (Birkbeck), and Mr Stefan Dickers (Bishopsgate Institute). The Directors are responsible to their line managers in their respective institutions and to the RSHC Team and the RSHC Management Group. Their role as directors is agreed by the RSHC Team and the Management Group, subject to approval by their respective line managers. Their term of office is reviewed every three years by the Management Group and line management at their respective institutions.
Management Group: the Centre is managed by a group composed of two representatives from each of the partner institutions, and a trustee from the Raphael Samuel estate. The MG meets annually and receives regular reports from the Directors. Decisions are reached by simple majority.
Advisory Board: the Centre is advised by a board composed of academic and community historians, archivists, and heritage workers from the UK and abroad. Board membership is by the invitation of the RSHC team. The board meets annually and receives regular reports on RSHC activities. It has no directive authority; its role is entirely advisory.
RSHC team: the Centre’s day-to-day activities are undertaken by its Directors and a team composed of academic historians from UEL and Birkbeck, Bishopsgate archivists, and RSHC Visiting Research Fellows. From time to time the Centre forms specialist sub-groups (‘History and the Schools’, ‘History and Policy’, ‘History and Memory’) which meet separately and as part of the team. These sub-groups involve volunteers from institutions (academic and otherwise) outside the RSHC partner group.
