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4Mar

The politics of world heritage: visions, custodians, and futures of humanity

Hosted by the Department of International Relations
In-person and online public event (Malaysia Auditorium, Centre Building)
Wednesday 4 March 2026 6.30pm - 8pm

In this book launch, Elif Kalaycioglu, will present her new book, The Politics of World Heritage: Visions, Custodians, and Futures of Humanity, followed by a discussion and Q&A.

The book examines the permutations of a global cultural history of humanity that has emerged through decades of World Heritage politics. Within this history, Dr Kalaycioglu excavates the exclusions, hierarchies and contradictions that challenge UNESCO's mandate of fostering global peace and solidarity; and offers an internal critique of UNESCO's "nested constructions of humanity".

Meet our speakers and chair

Elif Kalaycioglu is Assistant Professor at the University of Alabama’s Department of Political Science. Prior to joining the University of Alabama, she was a postdoctoral research associate at Princeton University’s Niehaus Center for Globalization and Governance (2019-2020). She received her MSc in European Studies from LSE. Her research focuses on the role of cultural and historical resources in the conduct of global politics.

Alvina Hoffmann is a Lecturer in Diplomatic Studies at SOAS University of London. Before joining SOAS, she taught at King’s College London and Queen Mary University of London. She holds a PhD from King’s College London, Master’s from Sciences Po Paris, and an MSc from LSE. Her research and teaching interests are in human rights and humanitarianism, the sociology of elites and experts, transnational professionals, socio-legal studies and the UN.

Sinja Graf is Assistant Professor in the Department of International Relations at LSE. Her research engages the intersection of international theory, (the legacies of) imperialism and international law; it examines mobilisations of normative universals in arguments about order, justice and the legitimacy of violence in international politics set against (post-)colonial contexts.

More about this event

The Department of International Relations (@LSEIRDept) at LSE is now in it's 98th year - one of the oldest as well as largest IR departments in the world, with a truly international reputation. We are ranked 2nd in the UK and 5th in the world in the QS World University Ranking by Subject 2025 tables for Politics and International Studies.

Join us on campus or register to watch the event online at LSE Live. LSE Live is the home for our live streams, allowing you to tune in and join the global debate at LSE, wherever you are in the world. If you can't attend live, a video will be made available shortly afterwards on LSE's YouTube channel.

Hashtag for this event: #LSEEvents

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