Cumberland Lodge

Department of International History, LSE
Cumberland Lodge Weekend
28 – 30 October 2022

History and Historian in an Era of Uncertainty

Every year, the International History Department holds an event at Cumberland Lodge, a country house and conference centre in Great Windsor Park. Students and faculty meet to socialise and to explore a theme of historical and contemporary interest in a relaxed, relatively informal atmosphere. This year’s theme is “History and Historian in an Era of Uncertainty".

The rocky exit from pandemic, Russia's war in Ukraine, Sino-US relations in a stalemate, and global economic downturn… The global society has been hit by unprecedentedly high uncertainty since the end of the Cold War. This year's theme seeks to tackle a wide range of questions in modern and contemporary history related to the rise and fall of Eurasian land-maritime empires, political trajectory of post-war Europe, and the political consequences of technological changes. How can history inform people's decision in an era of uncertainty? How do historians deal with uncertainty, a permanent feature of historical research? Several faculty members will offer lectures addressing these issues.

Download the full programme.

Alongside the sessions, there will be free time for further historical discussion and debate, whether on walks through the park or in the Lodge’s fine drawing rooms. There will also be time to meet fellow students and staff members at meals and in the bar.

The cost of the weekend is £100 per person. This includes coach transport to and from Cumberland Lodge, room and board.

It is open to all students in the International History Department.

Past themes have varied in content from alliances to civil war to the movement of ideas between nations. The programmes for some of the past events are provided below (in .pdf format):

"Overall it was a very well organised and perfect event."

Yener (2018-19)
PhD International History

"I had a great time meeting some lovely people from the department over the weekend and I was grateful for the opportunity to get some fresh air! The lodge itself had a great deal of charm, and the lectures were conducive to some very interesting conversations. The food was pretty good too!"

Harry (2018-19)
MSc Theory and History of International Relations

"The Cumberland Lodge weekend has been one of the highlights of my time at LSE so far. The Lodge itself was like a palace, and, with its rich past and royal connections, was the perfect place to learn about the histories of freedom and subjugation. I really enjoyed the diversity of topics that were covered, from gulags in Siberia and human rights in Iran, to Communism in Poland and the four freedoms of post-World War II America. These all opened my eyes to completely different parts of history that I’d never considered before, and it was great to be introduced to some of the current research that members of staff are doing. The best part of the weekend, however, was getting to know other historians, whether that was through exploring the beautiful grounds and park together or just chilling in the bar of an evening. There was a real community atmosphere the entire weekend, and I’ve gained so many friends because of it. The weekend was such a brilliant experience – I learned a lot, met some great people, and loved it so much that I would thoroughly recommend everyone to take advantage of it."

Scott Gibson (2015-2016)
MSc Empires, Colonialism and Globalisation

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