Dr Robert Yee
I work on the economic and political history of modern Europe, with a focus on Britain, France and Germany after the First World War. My research interests include business history, political economy and international relations. Prior to joining Oxford, I received a PhD in history from Princeton University, and I have also had visiting fellowships at the Paris School of Economics and the Humboldt University of Berlin.
Research Interests
- European economic history
- Central banking
- International relations and economic diplomacy
- History of economic ideas
- Global economic governance
I am currently completing a book on the interwar Bank of England, under contract with Cambridge University Press. The project shows how the Bank maintained the status of the City of London as an international financial centre in the aftermath of the First World War. It explores the central bank’s evolving role in a broad range of areas, including imperial relations, foreign affairs, industrial policy and exchange-rate management. The project also received the Thirsk-Feinstein Prize for best dissertation in 2024.
Additionally, I am working on two other book projects. The first focuses on the politics of banking regulation in Germany (c. 1880–1945), while the second examines the changing role of the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the twentieth century. Both these projects have received support from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the Embassy of France’s Chateaubriand Fellowship, the Anglo-Austrian Society, Harvard Business School and the Centre for History and Economics at the University of Cambridge.
At Oxford, I run tutorials on British, European, economic and global history since c. 1750. I also supervise History & Economics theses at Wadham.
