Alastair Owens

How charity helped shape Britain after empire

Today is the publication date for Matthew Hilton's Charity After Empire: www.qmul.ac.uk/media/news/2...

Looks great — congratulations!

Better together? The secret to successful collaborative arts and humanities PhD research Insights into managing collaborative relationships in arts and humanities PhD research, based on Alastair Owens’ extensive experience with museums and doctoral students

Had a piece published in @timeshighered.bsky.social (Campus) on collaborative PhD research in the arts and humanities.
www.timeshighereducation.com/campus/bette...

Thrilled to announce that the #CockneyYiddishPodcast has been shortlisted for the independentpodcastawards.com/IPA25/en/pag... in the History and the Culture categories
@engageqm.bsky.social @migrationmuseum.org @michaelrosenyes.bsky.social @jewishmuseumldn.bsky.social
@thegentleauthor.bsky.social

Teardrops on my mitre

Mine too. I am sure it was like 30 degrees last year

A key piece of research...

Very interesting and probably a sign of more to come elsewhere in the country...
www.gre.ac.uk/articles/uni...

A real privilege to have been shortlisted for Outstanding Research Supervisor of the Year in the @timeshighered.bsky.social #THEAwards (as has my legendary biology colleague @larschittka.bsky.social). And wonderful to see @qmul.bsky.social shortlisted for University of the Year.

Record number of students took GCSE Geography this year over 302,000 (up from 180,000 15 years ago). Congratulations to Geography teachers and students celebrating!

Queen Mary partners on Bengali heritage walk marking 25 years of the Swadhinata Trust

This has been a great project to be a part of -- come explore the Bengali history of east London!

www.qmul.ac.uk/media/news/2...

Enjoyed World Economic History Congress in Lund, Sweden, though at certain moments couldn’t help reflecting that economic history seems to have lost its way. I heard some great papers and a brilliant final session I went ‘Decolonising affluent societies’ (sadly sparsely attended) gave some hope!

We're taking part in Open House Festival 2025! 🏠

On Sunday 14th September we'll be running two social history tours of our Mile End campus, led by @alastairhackney.bsky.social and Nadia Valman.

Booking will open on 20th August ⚡
programme.openhouse.org.uk/listings/1432

They look good!

Postdoctoral Fellowships The British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowships is a three year award made to an annual cohort of outstanding early career researchers in the humanities or social sciences.

British Academy postdoctoral fellowships scheme is now open. The deadline is 1 October. Time to get talking with potential host institutions and mentors about planning an application for this year or instead waiting for a future round. (The scheme is annual).

Raunchy Handel’s Semele at Royal Opera House last night. Pretty Yende a fabulous diva Semele, Ben Bliss a virile Jupiter, and Alice Coote a persuasive Juno. Other roles just as good and nice taught choruses. Only cried twice. Go see - POWER30 gets 30% off

Thank you Clare, that’s kind of you! Hope all good

On the 17 June 1995 I moved to Hackney, probably the best thing I've ever done. Here's to the next 30 years!

Simon introducing Jon’s talk on green skills.

Our programme for the day - love this!

Great to be at UWE for the South West Geography Conference organised by wonderful Geography South West - how many free conferences are there nowadays? What an opportunity! Jon from The GA is kicking things off with a look at green skills. @stevebracegeog.bsky.social @alastairhackney.bsky.social

Fifth Ragged School Music Festival: Schubertiade - Ragged School Museum 20–22 June 2025 This June, the Ragged Music Festival returns with a very different kind of edition.

Schubertiade! Come hear world-class musicians in Mile End at our 5th Ragged School Music Festival, 20-22 June 2025

Alina IBRAGIMOVA, violin
Marie-Elisabeth HECKER, cello
Elisabeth LEONSKAJA, piano
Pavel KOLESNIKOV, piano
Samson TSOY, piano

Tickets:
raggedschoolmuseum.org.uk/fifth-ragged...

Last call! New perspectives on nineteenth-century childhoods at the Ragged School Museum, London E3, 1pm-8pm, Wednesday 4 June. Free but please register by 4pm on Friday 30 May (so we can plan catering): buytickets.at/qmul19c/1704...

Queen Mary College’s (@qmul.ac.uk) new Crittall windows — a feature of its Engineering Building Stage 2 development (designed by Playne and Lacey Architects) advertised in East London Papers, July 1965

Conference Panel Bursary | The London Journal The London Journal is eager to support early career scholars present their work on London at conferences and publish articles based on this work. To that end, the Journal is pleased to annouce a conference panel bursary.

REMINDER: We offer bursaries of up to £500 per head to support UK-based postgraduate and early career researchers to arrange panels on London-related topics for academic conferences. See here for further details on how to apply (please repost to help spread the word!)

Hackney Half done (and a bit quicker this year at 1:48). Thank you to everyone who cheered me on and supported my fundraiser

Race day! #HackneyHalf www.justgiving.com/page/alastai...

Join us for 'New perspectives on nineteenth-century childhoods', 1pm-8pm on Wednesday 4 June 2025 at the Ragged School Museum, London E3. Panel discussions followed by keynote lecture by Prof Josephine McDonagh (Chicago). Free, but booking essential: www.tickettailor.com/events/qmul1...

Another key recommendation 'Government should redouble efforts on access to Higher Education, including increasing the maintenance support available for students, and stronger regulatory expectations for universities with a focus on socio-economic disadvantage'.

The Opportunity Index - The Sutton Trust An unprecedented insight into the geography of opportunity and social mobility in England.

Fascinating @suttontrust.bsky.social report on geography of social mobility in England. Using constituencies, highest ranked areas are in London (East Ham, top). Demonstrates critical importance of education at all levels and wider measures to tackle child poverty
www.suttontrust.com/our-research...

GA Higher Education geography statement - Geographical Association As the subject association for geography the Geographical Association is concerned about the funding position of many UK universities...

Our @geographicalassoc.bsky.social statement on the crisis impacting UK Higher Education Geography.

We urge universities to maintain their current capacity for geography and to capitalise on its growth in schools and relevance to the workplace and wider economy.

geography.org.uk/ga-higher-ed...

GA Higher Education geography statement - Geographical Association As the subject association for geography the Geographical Association is concerned about the funding position of many UK universities...

Our @geographicalassoc.bsky.social statement on the crisis impacting UK Higher Education Geography.

We urge universities to maintain their current capacity for geography and to capitalise on its growth in schools and relevance to the workplace and wider economy.

geography.org.uk/ga-higher-ed...