The video recordings from the seminar Narratives of Power: Memory Politics in Europe and the Contemporary World, held on 15 January 2026 at the University of London Senate House, are now publicly available.
The event was organised by Historians without Borders in cooperation with the ICD Academy for Cultural Diplomacy, and hosted at the Institute of Historical Research. The event examines how collective memory and historical narratives influence public debate, memory politics, and policy in contemporary societies.
The seminar brought together scholars, diplomats, and policy experts to examine the politics of memory and history in the contemporary world. Discussions focused on how historical narratives are shaped, mobilised, and contested in the present — including in relation to colonial histories, cultures of remembrance, and the retrospective rewriting of the past to serve current political needs. Particular attention was paid to memory politics not only in increasingly authoritarian contexts, but also within democratic societies.
These recordings document a seminar that explored how memory and historical narrative shape contemporary politics — a central concern for public debate, education, and international cooperation in history policy. All recordings are linked below.
First session:
Second session:
Video recordings
War Memory, Poppies, and Britain’s Place in the World
Philip Murphy
Professor of British & Commonwealth History, University of London
A lecture on the historical development of war remembrance in Britain, focusing on poppies as symbols whose meanings have evolved in relation to changing political and social contexts.
Colonial Histories and the Making of Britain
Gurminder K Bhambra
Professor of Historical Sociology, University of Sussex
An examination of how colonial histories have shaped British society and elite structures, and why these histories are essential for understanding contemporary inequalities and political tensions.
Narratives of Power: Memory Politics in Europe and the Contemporary World
A wide-ranging discussion on memory politics, examining strategies of remembrance, denial, and commemoration, and the role of historical narratives in shaping public debate and international relations.
About Historians without Borders
Erkki Tuomioja
Chair, Historians without Borders
An introductory reflection on the principles, purpose, and work of Historians without Borders, and on the responsibilities of historical expertise when the past becomes politicised.
Historians without Borders: Concluding discussion
A discussion on the role of Historians without Borders as an international network, and on how historians can cooperate across borders when historical narratives are contested, politicised, or used to legitimise exclusion and violence.
If you would like to engage with Historians without Borders or receive invitations to future events, join our network.