Eleanor Rathbone Professor of Contemporary European History

Faculty of History in association with St Antony's College 

The Faculty of History is seeking applications for the Eleanor Rathbone Professorship of Contemporary European History, available from 1 October 2025 or as soon as possible thereafter.

This new senior post is intended to reinforce Oxford’s reputation as a major centre for research and teaching in the field of Contemporary European History. In particular, it will extend expertise into the history of the European present, by developing new teaching provision, and research-led scholarship, on the history of the final decades of the twentieth century and the early decades of the early twenty-first century.

The Rathbone Chair has been named in honour of Eleanor Rathbone to mark her lifelong work and engagement with issues of contemporary European politics and social inequality. The professor will be based at St Antony’s College, where they will maintain and develop the legacy of the work and scholarship undertaken on the contemporary history of Europe by Professor Timothy Garton Ash. It is therefore intended that the professor will be a scholar who will combine innovative scholarship and teaching with a wider profile of intellectual engagement.

The Rathbone Professor will be expected to lead the growth of Contemporary European History within Oxford, including new teaching options on recent and current European history, funded grant applications, workshops, public events and outreach, broadly defined. An important element of the post would be to work with colleagues in the organising and direction of Contemporary European History teaching and research within the History Faculty.

We wish to appoint a committed historian who will be able to shape this new field. You should possess an excellent record of innovative archival research using one or more European languages; a significant record of publications; the capacity to lead and inspire others; and an ability to communicate the importance of historical issues for an understanding of the contemporary identity of Europe.

The closing date for applications is 12:00 noon UK time on Monday 3 February 2025. Interviews are expected to be held in March 2025. Informal enquiries are welcome and may be made in strict confidence to Professor Martin Conway, Chair of the History Faculty Board (martin.conway@history.ox.ac.uk).

To apply please click on the ‘Apply’ button above.

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