UR’s history department has become one of the first departments in the country to create a global history degree in its Master’s and Ph.D. program.
UR will join the University of Hawai, Northeastern University, SUNY Binghamton, Rutgers University, the University of Texas and Ohio State University in exploring the merits of offering “world” or “global” history.
“This is clearly a new trend,” history professor Joseph Inikori said in a press release. “There’s a greater appreciation to see history more in global terms. Many historians say a lot of United States history would be better understood in the context of global forces.”
This new major will be a largely self-sustaining field that looks at the connections between local, regional, national and international developments.
“The uniqueness of this program is that, unlike other programs or courses of study, this is not just a version of regional or comparative history,” history professor Dorinda Outram said. “This is the study of the factors that have gone into construction of the global system we now have.”
With the announcement of the new major, the history department has experienced a substantial increase in applications. Outram said she believes that the new program will strengthen graduates who are looking for careers in higher and secondary education because there is a growing demand for instructors in world history, diplomacy, international law and international trade.
Visting professor to discuss historical analysis
Director of Jewish Studies and professor of history at Kean University Dennis Klein will give a talk titled “Revolution, War, Genocide: Competing Narratives.”
The discussion will compare how the Holocaust and other historical events have been examined.
The event occurs on Sept. 25 at 4:45 p.m. in the Welles-Brown Room in Rush Rhees.
Reporting by Karen Taylor and Chadwick Schnee.
