Our History, Politics and International Relations Taster Morning will allow you to ignite a passion for understanding the past, shaping the present and envisioning the future.
Curious about how history and politics shape the world we live in today?
Whether you're drawn to History, Politics, International Relations or International Development, this is your chance to dive into the fascinating world of global studies and explore what makes these subject so exciting.
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Join us for an interactive experience where you'll take an in-depth look at your chosen subjects. Choose two hands-on sessions that spark your creativity - whether that's:
- Exploring The Russian Revolution in British films
- Discussing aid and development in the Global south
- Exploring the Tudors and challenging the authority of Henry VIII
- Rethinking ‘uncomfortable pasts’ in history
You'll also discover future career opportunities and hear insights from current student ambassadors. Ready to turn your passion into a pathway?
At our History, Politics and International Relations Taster Morning
get ready to:
- Chat with our staff and current students about their courses and personal insights into student life.
- Learn about graduate destinations and the wide range of career opportunities available for graduates.
- Have the opportunity to sample two hands-on sessions to find out more about your chosen subject area.
- Gain useful ideas that you can channel into your UCAS personal statement when applying to university.
- Chat with current students about life as a student at ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú and the different social science courses that they study.
Location: Burnaby Building, Burnaby Rd, ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú PO1 3QL
Why study history at ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú?
Study history in a city that's always been a gateway to the wider world. Meet our academics and students, learn about our placement opportunities, and discover why ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú could be right for you.
Brad Beaven: As students go through the course, you're doing your own research under expert guidance and really producing real history, so it's not a passive type of course, you're going out there doing the research and writing real history.
Beth: BA History is a three year course that gives you loads of scope on what you can research, you can do it with pathways. I did it with Sociology, or you can do it with American Studies.
Brad Beaven: The types of topics we offer on this course are really wide ranging. One week you could be looking at the Opium Wars, Chinese Opium Wars. The following week you'd be looking at Opium Dens in Victorian London, the French Revolution and student revolutions in the 1960s.
Mike Esbester: There are a variety of museums and sites of historic interest that we’re able to take the students to as part of the course. The skills that they develop with us are the ones that employers really look for. So, the ability to analyse critically, produce an argument, make a case, so really practical skills that are really sought after and used in every walk of life. On the course, there are a variety of placement opportunities available. You will work with the Placement and Internship Centre, so a dedicated team who are helping with setting up placements.
Beth: I did a year volunteering at my local museum. I got to work with social sectors that promoted arts and culture. I got to provide walking tours.
Brad Beaven: When we find students come back, they come back with a wholly different attitude to work. They've got real experience in different varieties, so things like PR,
Mike Esbester: law, charities, museums and archive services, i.e. a company that dealt with digitisation.
Brad Beaven: It's a huge opportunity for people to gain those experiences and opportunities.
Beth: I would say to other students to come to ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú because it's just a great city in that you are by the sea. In the summer, it's amazing to go down to the common. The university itself, though, is great in communication, the personal tutors were amazing. Even during my placement, I was kept in contact with my tutor and then throughout the course itself, there are really nice people to get along with.
Mike Esbester: The team are fantastic, really enthusiastic, dedicated and teaching a huge amount of really interesting material about the past.
Brad Beaven: ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú has huge amounts of heritage that gives lots of opportunities for students to do part-time work and job opportunities in that way. ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú is a really student-friendly city.
Mike Esbester: I think the thing that I love most about the course is seeing the current students get it. It's brilliant, really fun and it's a wonderful thing.
Taster Morning programme
Here's the programme for the History, Politics & International Relations Taster Morning.
Check in opens from 9.15am at Burnaby Building, Burnaby Rd, ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú PO1 3QL
History, politics, international relations and international development shape our society and help us understand the world past and present.
Get an intro to to what's coming up, courses you can study at ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú, and what you can do with a History, Politics or International Relations degree.
*Choose to go to either of the following talks when you save your place.
History | ‘There are no revolutions in well-governed countries’: The Russian Revolution in British films
What impact did the Russian Revolution have in Britain? Join this session to see how the British state responded to the Communist threat through film censorship. In the session we will explore the ways in which this explosive and far-reaching event was presented (or oftentimes not!) to audiences in British feature films. We will examine how audiences were presented with a particular viewpoint about the nature and importance of the Russian revolution and the revolutionaries themselves, and also explore how and why historians use film as an historical source.
International Development | Rethinking Aid and Development in the Global south: Does aid really benefit the beneficiary?
On the global scale, the idea of concerted international effort in the provision of aid is attributed to USA President Truman’s underlying belief that large investment capital together with technical expertise would contribute to growth and development in countries from the Global South. With Keynesian economic theory dominant at the time, there was strong support for foreign aid. However, 73 years after Truman's famous inaugural speech, countries in the Global South are still dependent on aid from the Global North. This session will review the debates on how aid perpetuates the Global South’s economic dependency on the Global North.
Quick breather, so grab your refreshments and get ready for the next session.
*Choose to go to either of the following talks when you save your place.
History | Speaking Out Against a Tyrant: Challenging the Authority of Henry VIII
Tudor society was fundamentally hierarchical, and obedience was a powerful concept for contemporaries. So what happened when a monarch acted in ways that were seen by his subjects as problematic? This session will explore examples of Henry’s subjects speaking out against royal policy, from rude words spoken to neighbours, to printed polemic and propaganda. In doing so, it will explore the limits to royal authority and the extent to which Henry’s subjects might be seen as a threat to his power.
Politics & International Relations | Rethinking ‘uncomfortable pasts’: learning from the German experience?
In recent years, Britain has begun to systematically address the legacy of its colonial past, evidenced through ongoing investigations into National Trust properties, leading British universities, and cities instrumental to the transatlantic slave trade. In this context, it has been proposed that Britain can learn from the German experience in coming to terms with the legacy of its Nazi past. This session will explore the debates surrounding this controversial proposal examining how nations address uncomfortable aspects of their histories.
Find out about your next steps and get your questions answered by our staff and student ambassadors.