The School of Humanities at Royal Holloway, University of London, is a pioneer in challenge-led, collaborative ‘engaged humanities’ research, responding to societal challenges, and committed to principles of social justice, equality and diversity.
We see our research as an innovative dialogue between the ‘traditional’ humanities (English, History, Classics, and Comparative Literature and Culture) and the cultural, creative and heritage industries (museums and galleries, publishing, archives, libraries, theatres, arts tourism). We combine a commitment to intellectual innovation across disciplinary boundaries and a passion for ground-breaking research. We also have a strong culture of engagement with contemporary issues and problems, both national and international; a commitment to public benefit through social and cultural partnerships and knowledge exchange; a global outlook and a belief in our civic responsibility. Our individual expertise not only results in prize-winning books but flows outwards to refresh and inform major exhibitions and conversations in the media, and supports the work of arts and heritage organisations, both big and small.
Our research has created dialogue between classical archaeology and local craft groups in post conflict Iraq; canonical English literature and contemporary provincial culture in the Midlands; documentary photography and curatorial practice in Cuba and London. We aim to use our production of outstanding research outputs to both enhance our existing reputation as a centre of world class research and to foster cross-disciplinary external engagement; furthering socially, politically, and culturally engaged and collaborative humanities research, which is committed to offering a critical voice on contemporary issues.
We believe that it is the responsibility of researchers in the humanities to advance knowledge and understanding by finding new ways to continue to tell neglected or forgotten stories, whilst remaining alert to the pressures of the present and the priorities of the future. We believe that the strength of the humanities lies in its ability to remake itself for every generation and thus help every generation tackle the unique challenges it faces.
As a School we will consolidate and capitalize on our long-standing disciplinary expertise in the following priority research areas:
• Histories of Conflict, Violence and Trauma
• Interpreting Place through Cultural, Artistic and Intellectual Heritage
• Democratising Heritage and Culture
• Cultural and Creative Industries
• The Environmental and Digital Humanities
You can find many more examples of our innovative work on our Department Research webpages, linked blow.
