UBC Senate approves new Middle East Studies minor
The UBC senate has approved a new Middle East studies minor, to be offered for the first time in the 2020/21 academic year.
Pandemics and History – a roundtable on COVID-19 and its historical connections
“I feel that it’s a moment when all of history is kind of rising up and being revealed before us, and we’re provoked to think about a million different questions.” – Robert Brain. How has history been impacted by pandemics? How do we understand pandemics, and how do we study them? How do historians interact […]
Tim Brook discusses China and Pandemics at the Salt Spring Forum
VIDEO: Tim Brook and moderator Louise Doucet have a historically informed discussion about China and Pandemics.
Q&A with Heidi Tworek – “When a virus is the cause, racism is often the symptom.”
A virus is a virus, but humans have a long history of turning their fear of disease into unwarranted panic about people and places. Since the novel coronavirus came to wide public attention at the beginning of this year, China has been the target of these phobias. So have millions of people around the world […]
Leading Through Collaboration: History Major Suyesha Dutta’s experience as Student Directed Seminar co-facilitator
Suyesha Dutta is a student leader. She prides herself in getting involved in the student community at UBC which is evident by her position as the 2019-2020 President of the History Student Association (HSA.) She also took on a role representing the Arts Undergraduate Society in the Alma Mater Society (Student Union) of UBC, […]
Op-ed by Tim Brook in the Globe and Mail: Blame China? Outbreak orientalism, from the plague to coronavirus
There are conditions in Asia that have left its people vulnerable to new and strange illnesses over the centuries. We would be wise to learn from them – and leave panicked prejudice out of it.
Honours Student Profile: Kevin Ang
“Where are you from?” is the question that ignited Kevin Ang’s curiosity about the history of Taiwan and China. He was asked this question by a new classmate in his grade five classroom that he was helping translate English to Mandarin for. Puzzled, Kevin, responded, “I am from Richmond but my parents came from […]
History Major Laura Guglielmin’s Internship with the Gay and Lesbian Archives
“It was one of those perfectly star-aligned opportunities: I am a history student, I am super interested in the archives, and I am part of the queer community.” That was Laura Guglielmin’s sentiment as she applied for an internship to lead community engagement and outreach for the BC Gay and Lesbian archive (BCGLA), […]
Interview with PhD History Student Sarah Fox: Beyond the Killam
“For me mentorship and community were the key ingredients for choosing a grad school and selecting an advisor. I would urge future grad students to research potential supervisors and ask questions about the kind of support they can provide as mentors.” PhD student Sarah Fox received the 2019 Killam Doctoral Scholarship for her research […]
Alumni Interview: Emily Dishart (Law Student, focus: Indigenous Law)
The history department at UBC taught me the importance of cultivating relationships with your classmates and professors, as the professors in the history department are among the most approachable and helpful at UBC. I have continued this pattern of familiarizing myself with classmates and professors and I think it has been helpful so far! […]