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.
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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.
9 courses available
- The Cold War
Explore how the 'Grand Alliance' of the USA, Britain and the USSR degenerated into a Cold War that divided Europe for forty years. See where the Cold War got hot in other parts of the world. Break week/no class 29/10/2026.
.Keeley Street
Thu 17 Sep 2026Alison ApplebyFull fee £329.00 Senior fee £263.00 Concession £214.00 
A taste of global historyJoin this session to discuss global history, what it is, what it allows us to do and how we can all use it for mental agility, excitement, learn new things and expand Horizons! Global history is much more than you think!
Keeley Street
Thu 17 Sep 2026Martin JorgensenFull fee £19.00 Senior fee £15.00 Concession £12.00- An Accidental Empire? The British Empire 1500-1850
Join Colm Hickey to explore the history of the British Empire in the period 1500-1850. Overview sessions will be followed by the exploration of the history of different colonies around the Empire.
Keeley Street
Thu 17 Sep 2026Colm HickeyFull fee £239.00 Senior fee £191.00 Concession £155.00 - History, memory and mental wealth: why we need to talk about empireFormally, 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.
Keeley Street
Fri 9 Oct 2026Martin JorgensenFull fee £10.00 Senior fee £10.00 Concession £5.00 - Diaspora history: Chinese communities around the worldTrace 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.
Keeley Street
Sat 31 Oct 2026Qiuyang ChenFull fee £79.00 Senior fee £63.00 Concession £51.00 - European global empires
This course compares the main European global empires - Spanish, British, Portuguese and Dutch - by taking a thematic approach to the acquisition of empire, settlement, history and legacy in each case.
Keeley Street
Thu 7 Jan 2027Michael SchraerFull fee £159.00 Senior fee £127.00 Concession £103.00 - The French colonial Empire and its demiseWhy did France acquire a vast colonial empire and how was it run? Why was decolonisation peaceful in some parts while in Indochina and Algeria, independence was only gained after violent wars? What were the consequences of decolonisation?
Keeley Street
Thu 14 Jan 2027Sebastien ArdouinFull fee £259.00 Senior fee £207.00 Concession £168.00 - Turkish Letters and More: Lady Mary Wortley Montagu (1689-1762)
Writer, traveller, social critic, and medical innovator, Lady Mary Wortley Montagu was a remarkable woman. We look at her contribution to 18th-century literature, her groundbreaking travel writing, and advocacy for smallpox inoculation.
Keeley Street
Sat 6 Mar 2027Vanessa KingFull fee £49.00 Senior fee £39.00 Concession £32.00 - Lunchtime Lecture: Britain, Nuclear Testing & The Christmas Island Controversy
During this lunchtime lecture we will assess the role of Britain in nuclear testing, developments and warfare in the late 1950s with reference to the controversy surrounding the detonation of Nuclear bombs off the coast of Christmas Island in the Pacific. Tutor: Ellen Carpenter. Ellen is the daughter of a British Christmas Island veteran.
Keeley Street
Tue 22 Jun 2027Ellen CarpenterFull fee £19.00 Senior fee £15.00 Concession £12.00
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