Looking at a Europe in ruins after the First World War, the French poet and essayist Paul Valéry reflected on how far it had fallen: from once “appearing” to itself as “the elect portion of the terrestrial globe, the pearl of the sphere, the brain of a vast body” it was fast-becoming provincialized, no more to its “reality” than a “little promontory on the continent of Asia”. If the old Eurocentric appearance was disappearing in 1919, it has today largely evaporated altogether.
Understanding Europe requires going beyond Eurocentrism. And yet studies of Europe may still retain the traces of Eurocentric assumptions and prejudices. This event series aims to explore how the shape and shaping of Europe – its political-economy, its political policy making, or its political culture – needs to be rethought in a time of the exhaustion of Eurocentrism.
Upcoming Events
We are continuously announcing new events throughout the term. For more information, you can revisit this page or sign up to our newsletter.
Spring Term 2024
Race and Empire in Europe's Borders
Thursday 23 May, 10.30am to 5:30pm BST
Speakers: Nadine El-Enany, University of Kent; Emmanuel Achiri, ENAR; Janine Silga, Dublin City University; Tarsis Brito, LSE; Hope Barker; Arshad Isakjee, University of Liverpool; Thom Davies, University of Nottingham; Jelena Obradovic-Wolchnik, Aston University; Magda El Ghamari, Collegium Civitas; Eva Polonska, LSE; Patrick Kimunguyi, LSE; Martina Tazzioli, University of Bologna
Chair: Eva Polonska, LSE.
Hosted by the LSE European Institute and the European Network Against Racism (ENAR)
Venue: In-person and online public event (LSE Campus)
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Past Events
Black feminism in Europe
Monday 30 October, 6.30pm to 8.00pm BST
Speakers: Mame-Fatou Niang, Associate Professor of French and Francophone Studies, Carnegie Mellon University; SM Rodriguez, Assistant Professor, Department of Gender Studies, LSE.
Chair: Joanna Lewis, Director, LSE Centre for Women, Peace and Security.
Hosted by the LSE European Institute and the LSE Centre for Women, Peace and Security
Venue: In-person and online public event (Hong Kong Theatre, Clement House, LSE)
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Eurowhiteness: culture, empire and race in the European project
Speakers: Gurminder K. Bhambra, Professor of Postcolonial and Decolonial Studies in the School of Global Studies, University of Sussex; Hans Kundnani, Associate Fellow and former Europe Programme Director, Chatham House; Helen Thompson, Professor of Political Economy, University of Cambridge; Mike Wilkinson, Professor of Law, LSE
Chair: Simon Glendinning, Head of the European Institute and Professor in European Philosophy, LSE
Hosted by the LSE European Institute and the LSE Law School
Venue: In-person and online public event (Sheikh Zayed Theatre, Cheng Kin Ku Building, LSE)
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A Decolonial Moment in European & EU Studies
Wednesday 31 May, 10:00am to 5:00pm BST
Keynote Speaker: Gurminder K Bhambra, Professor of Postcolonial and Decolonial Studies at the University of Sussex.
Speakers: Diamond Ashiagbor, Peo Hansen, Jan Orbie, Eva Połońska-Kimunguyi, Olivia Rutazibwa, Iyiola Solanke, Wendy Willems.
Chairs: Chris Anderson, Simon Glendinning, Sonya Onwu, Eva Połońska-Kimunguyi.
Hosted by the LSE European Institute as part of the European Institute's Beyond Eurocentrism Programme.
Venue: MAR.1.08, Marshall Building, LSE and Online
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The Early History of Humanity: We Have Never Been Stupid (Until Now?)
Wednesday 2 November, 6:00pm to 7:00pm GMT
Speaker: Professor David Wengrow, Professor of Comparative Archaeology, UCL.
Chair: Professor Simon Glendinning, Professor in European Philosophy and Head of the LSE European Institute.
Hosted by the LSE European Institute as part of the LSE European Institute Series: 'Beyond Eurocentrism’.
Venue: Online and In-Person.
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European Remembrance
Tuesday 8 November, 6:30pm to 8:00pm GMT
Speakers: Dr Paris Chronakis, Lecturer in Modern Greek History, Royal Holloway, University of London; Professor Meena Dhanda, Professor of Philosophy and Cultural Politics, University of Wolverhampton; Professor James Mark, Department of History, University of Exeter.
Chair: Professor Simon Glendinning, Professor in European Philosophy and Head of the LSE European Institute.
Hosted by the LSE European Institute as part of the LSE European Institute Series: 'Beyond Eurocentrism’.
Venue: Online and In-Person.
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Queering Europe: nationalism and sexuality
Thursday 11 November 2021
This event will explore the seemingly paradoxical relationship between sexuality and Europeanness. Challenging the binary of tolerant West and intolerant others, the panel explore will discuss how both homophobia and homonationalism are intertwined with nationalist projects across the continent.
Speakers: Professor Fatima El-Tayeb, Abeera Khan, Professor Richard Mole, Dr Alyosxa Tudor.
Hosted by the LSE European Institute and Department of Gender Studies.
Listen to the podcast or watch the video.
Spring Term 2021
Europe's Refugee 'Crisis': where are we now?Wednesday 16 June 2021
Six years after the beginning of Europe’s so called refugee or migration 'crisis', we ask what has happened since and (how) has Europe changed? This event explores Europe’s ‘refugee’ or ‘migration’ crisis, asking whether Europe has changed since, and what happened to the people who arrived and the policies that governed their arrival.
Speakers: Professor Heaven Crawley, Dr Lucy Mayblin, Masooma Torfa, Catherine Woollard.
Hosted by the LSE European Institute and the 89 Initiative.
Listen to the podcast or watch the video.
Winter Term 2021
Autumn Term 2020
Young People and (anti-) Racism: whose lives matter in Europe?
Monday 12 October 2020
In the wake of global protests against racism and police brutality, European publics at large have been called to reckon with the role of race on the continent. This panel discussed how racism has deeply shaped both European past and present and how young people today can determine how it’ll shape Europe’s future.
Speakers: Dr Manmit Bhambra, Hiba Latreche, Magid Magid, Dr. Emilia Zenzile Roig.
Listen to the podcast or watch the video