The Koch History Centre (KHC): A new Historical Research Centre at Oxford
We are excited to announce the establishment of the Koch History Centre (KHC), which will provide an institutional home in Oxford for the pursuit of world-class historical research. A generous donation will support the work of the Centre for an initial period of 5 years.
The Centre will run under the auspices of the Faculty of History and Wadham College, providing scholars with the time and facilities to undertake fundamental historical study. It will encourage innovative historical research while adhering to the best traditions of scholarship; weekly seminars will foster multidisciplinary discussion about different historiographical approaches and methods.
Professor Rob Iliffe, the inaugural director of the Centre, said “The formation of the Koch History Centre will allow historians drawn from across the globe to conduct independent research in Oxford. As Koch fellows, they will form a community of researchers who have come from different historical fields, have been trained in varied historical traditions and who have diverse historical interests. They will benefit greatly from the ability to interact with members of Wadham College, with the History Faculty, and with the broader Oxford academic body. We are extremely grateful to the donor for making this possible.”
The Fellowship Programme
The Centre will appoint both junior and senior fellows with expertise in a broad range of geographical regions extending back three millennia. They will work on a project that is related to a general subject area chosen for that particular year. The topic for the first year will be Religion and the State Authority.
The Centre founders recognise the significant added value that robust historical knowledge can bring to contemporary conversations, and it will make its weekly seminars accessible to general audiences as podcasts. Fellows will be encouraged to champion the importance and relevance of the subject both inside and outside academia, particularly in schools.
The donor of this gift, the successful author, entrepreneur and philanthropist Richard Koch, studied History at Wadham College Oxford. He attributes his success to being taught at Oxford how to think and identify concepts that are neglected but powerful.
The University is honoured to have such an important endorsement of the value of history and the humanities, and their impact on individual lives and the world. Richard Koch says, 'The study of big questions in history has fascinated me since my teens. I am delighted to see this Centre established at Oxford, with its unparalleled excellence in research and teaching.'
