Global & Imperial History
Courses Online & in London
Thousands of years ago humanity migrated to almost every part of the world and as a consequence our history has since been global. Evidence from several thousand years show how the regions we now call the Middle East, South Asia and inland China were the first to see the emergence of agriculture and empires, each region defined by its eco-systems. Later, similar developments took place in Western and Central Africa and in Central and South America. Lastly, the region we later called Europe followed.
Since then, the connections between and within the different regions of the world have waxed and waned through the transfer of people, technologies, ideas, belief systems, and wealth. For several centuries this process has been defined by imperial cooperation, competition and conflict on the one hand and human creativity and resilience on the other. Much contested around the world, Europe emerged to become a global influence in this period, remaking several regions via the connections between with the imperial expansion and settler colonial state building of the 19th century, capitalism and industrialisation.
Today, historians are exploring these connections and their often-violent consequences with greater understanding than previously and, in the process of overcoming the Eurocentric and/or US-centric overall perspective(s), which came to dominate the discipline. This process is far from easy or simple, however. There is no quick fix. It is a longer conversation.
In recognition of this, we aim to make our courses not only enjoyable but also relevant to further your understanding of the varied links between our global past, present and future. Within our global and imperial history category, you will find courses of varying lengths as well as online, delivered either online or face-to-face, exploring different aspects of the journey to our global present.
Curious? Join us!
Courses available both in-person and online
We offer a range of courses allowing you to choose between online and in-person learning. All our courses are live, interactive, and taught by expert tutors. No matter how you prefer to learn, you’ll receive the same great City Lit experience. See our guide to online learning for more information about accessing our live online courses.
- Global encounters: Europe and the Ottoman Empire, 1100-1700Course start date: Tue 13 May 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Vanessa KingThe Turks entered European consciousness in 1071 when they captured the Byzantine emperor at the Battle of Manzikert. So began centuries of uneasy co-existence between Christians and Muslims on the fringes of Europe.Full fee £169.00 Senior fee £135.00 Concession £110.00 - The Rise and Fall of the British Empire: Part 2 From World Dominance to Decolonialisation 1914-1960Course start date: Wed 14 May 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Colm HickeyIn 1914 Britain was undoubtedly the world’s super power. It was stronger than America, Russia, Germany or China. Yet, by 1960 this had all changed as recognised by the British Prime Minister, Harold MacMillan who announced the process of decolonialisation in his winds of change speech in South Africa in 1960.Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £119.00 Concession £97.00 - From Goths to Mongols: A Horde-able HistoryCourse start date: Sat 24 May 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Vanessa KingDiscover who were the barbarians in the Ancient and Medieval World. How did the Chinese and the West interact with ‘the other’? Were the Vikings simply ‘long-haired tourists who occasionally roughed up the natives’ (Wallace-Hadrill 1975)?Full fee £49.00 Senior fee £39.00 Concession £32.00 - Global encounters: Gold, the Enslaved and Exotic Animals: Europe and Africa before 1700
Course start date: Sat 14 Jun 2025Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Vanessa KingExplore European perceptions of Africa and its inhabitants: from misconstrued tales of monstrous races and the legendary Prester John, to the charting of the west coast and rise of the slave trade.Full fee £49.00 Senior fee £39.00 Concession £32.00 - The Battle of Lepanto 1571Course start date: Tue 24 Jun 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Vanessa KingThe Battle of Lepanto, possibly the largest naval battle in 2000 years, has been described as the last European crusade that led to the decline of the Ottoman empire. But has its significance been exaggerated?Full fee £49.00 Senior fee £39.00 Concession £32.00 - Global encounters: the Silk RoadsCourse start date: Tue 16 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Vanessa KingTravel nearly 2000 years of history along the Silk Roads across Eurasia and China and explore the cross-cultural impact generated through the expansion of trade.Full fee £169.00 Senior fee £135.00 Concession £110.00 - The Rise and Fall of Empires Part 2: 1940-1991Course start date: Thu 18 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Alison ApplebyBoth victorious and defeated powers saw their empires dwindle as a consequences of the Second World War. This course looks at the fall of these empires in the period 1940-1991 and also at how the Cold War led to new spheres of influence and opportunities for domination, and the factors that gave rise to these.Full fee £309.00 Senior fee £247.00 Concession £201.00 - The Global Cold WarCourse start date: Wed 1 Oct 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Alexandre DabThis 10 week course focuses on the conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union from a global perspective. Going beyond the traditional focus on the superpowers and Europe, we will explore how the Cold War affected every part of the world and created the current international system.Full fee £219.00 Senior fee £175.00 Concession £142.00 - History, memory and mental wealth: why we need to talk about empireCourse start date: Fri 17 Oct 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Martin JorgensenFormally, European imperialism ended decades ago. Yet, the different legacies still affect the world and many societies today. Join us for a discussion on why we need to talk about empire and mental wealth.Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £15.00 Concession £12.00 - Global history for beginnersCourse start date: Thu 30 Oct 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Olivia DurandWhat is global history? How is it different from other ways of understanding history? This introductory course will give you a sense of what it means to study global history.Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £119.00 Concession £97.00 - Global encounters: meet the MongolsCourse start date: Mon 3 Nov 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Vanessa KingAt its height the Mongol empire stretched from the Sea of Japan to eastern Europe. We explore how the Mongols interacted with the nations they conquered.Full fee £169.00 Senior fee £135.00 Concession £110.00 - Diaspora history: Chinese communities around the worldCourse start date: Sat 22 Nov 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Qiuyang ChenTrace the movements of the Chinese diaspora from the 10th century to the present day and dive into case studies highlighting the Chinese communities’ integration and influence in different regions of the world.Full fee £59.00 Senior fee £47.00 Concession £38.00 - A history of global capitalismCourse start date: Wed 30 Apr 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Vina TheodorakopoulouWant to understand the history of global capitalism? Join Vina Theodorakopoulou to learn about the historical transitions towards what we know as capitalism today – evolution of capital, the role of the state, labour, competition, race, and innovation-automation.Full fee £169.00 Senior fee £135.00 Concession £110.00 - The rise and fall of Empires in Modern Times 1885-1940Course start date: Thu 1 May 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Alison ApplebyIn 1885, there were numerous empires, some solely in Europe, others spanning Asia and other parts of the world. Why did some of these empires collapse and others expand as a result of the Great War? N.B. no session on Thursday 29 May 2025.
Full fee £259.00 Senior fee £207.00 Concession £168.00
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