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.
16 courses available
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 - From one Empire to the other: a taste of global history and global politicsJoin us for an introduction on to how to make sense of the British and American ways of seeking global dominance and the ways in which people have resisted as we see the (re-)emergence of China, India and Russia in global politics and economics.
Keeley Street
Fri 8 Jan 2027Martin JorgensenFull fee £19.00 Senior fee £15.00 Concession £12.00 - Global encounters: Europe and the Ottoman Empire, 1100-1700The 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 £189.00 Senior fee £151.00 Concession £123.00
- The ‘Great Game’: Anglo-Russian rivalry in AsiaThe Great Game evokes stories of spies, diplomatic intrigue, and wars in remote regions of Asia. But what was really the Great Game? Why did Britain and Russia become rivals? How did they seek to consolidate their positions? Why and how did it end?
Keeley Street
Wed 13 Jan 2027Sebastien ArdouinFull fee £259.00 Senior fee £207.00 Concession £168.00 - The Rise & Fall of the British Empire Part 2: An Intentional Empire? Imperialism and Colonialism 1850-1950
Join Dr Colm Hickey to explore the history of the British Empire in the period1850-1950. India, Ireland and the South African Boer War will be your case studies; you will also explore key themes such as imperialism, education and sport, and the impact o the Empire of the global conflicts of the C20th.
Keeley Street
Thu 14 Jan 2027Colm HickeyFull fee £239.00 Senior fee £191.00 Concession £155.00 - 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 - East and Central African history - a brief introduction
Want to know more about East and Central African history but not sure where to start? Join us in this course to get a footing and build knowledge and appetite for more African history!
Keeley Street
Fri 15 Jan 2027Martin JorgensenFull fee £159.00 Senior fee £127.00 Concession £103.00 - Cultural Connections: Venice & Western Asia (With V&A visit)
During this study day we will gain a brief introduction to the history of the relationship between Western Asia, North Africa and the Italian States, with particular reference to Venice. Contrary to long-held misperceptions of hostility and confrontation, the relationship between these important regions was highly nuanced. The evidence paints a picture of trade, diplomacy and mutual connectivity via material culture. Am at the City Lit, pm at the V & A.
Full fee £99.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £64.00 - 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 - The Global Cold War
This 8 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.
Keeley Street
Wed 28 Apr 2027Alexandre DabFull fee £239.00 Senior fee £191.00 Concession £155.00 - The capital of the Safavid Empire: Shah Abbas I and the transformation of Isfahan (1501-1736)This course will trace the origins and development of the Safavid dynasty and the ongoing conflicts with the Ottoman neighbours. The choice of Isfahan as the capital of the empire will be also analysed.
Keeley Street
Sun 9 May 2027Roberta MarinFull fee £79.00 Senior fee £63.00 Concession £51.00 - A Fading Empire? Grandeur and Decline From Empire to Commonwealth 1950-2025
In 1914 Britain was undoubtedly the world’s super power; yet by 1960 this had all changed, as recognized by the British Prime Minister, Harold MacMillan who announced the process of decolonialization in his Winds of Change speech. Join us to discover the history of the decline of the British Empire and the foundations of the Commonwealth.
Keeley Street
Thu 13 May 2027Colm HickeyFull fee £239.00 Senior fee £191.00 Concession £155.00 - From Goths to Mongols: A Horde-able History (with British museum visit)
Discover 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)? We will spend the morning at the City Lit and afternoon at the British museum.
Keeley Street
Sat 22 May 2027Vanessa KingFull fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £45.00 - The East India Company & India
Chart the rise and fall of the East India Company in India on this one-day workshop, from 1600 to 1858.
Keeley Street
Sat 29 May 2027T HussainFull fee £79.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £51.00
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