Present: Peer Vries (external advisor, University of Vienna), Anne Gerritsen,
Maxine Berg, David Arnold, Christian Hess, Dan Branch, Clare Anderson,
Stephen McDowall, Felicia Gottmann
Apologies: David Washbrook (Trinity College, Cambridge), Steve Hindle,
Gurminder Bhambra, Helen Clifford
1. Welcome
Welcome Peer Vries as our new external advisor.
Many thanks to David Washbrook (Cambridge) for his active involvement and contribution in the Centre in past years. He will stand down as an external
Committee member at the end of this academic year.
2. The minutes of the last meeting were accepted as a true record of activities of the
Centre.
3. Matters arising -
Margot Finn has been awarded a project funding by the Leverhulme Trust for research on ‘The East India Company at Home, 1757-1857’.
Trevor Burnard’s idea of developing collaborations between the GHCC, CAS and
YPCCS has led to one of four successful workshops, held in March.
Anne reported that the idea of develop close link with HIR has not been proceed.
Anne and Stephen visited various institutes in China to follow up Dorothy’s suggestion of attracting/recruiting high quality PhD students with linguistic skills.
Maxine emphasised that the Department has agreed of funding support to the Centre if a grant application is put through the Centre. Anne should be notified for future grant applications.
4. External advisor’s report from David Washbrook is to be circulated shortly.

5. External advisor’s report
1) Intellectual quality
The Centre has achieved high quality intellectually in a short time by organising successful events that are focusing on early modern history period. For future direction, the Centre should consider in principle either ‘specific’ or ‘broaden’ its focus. Centre would only thrive by attracting new scholarships and creating new positions.
It was discussed that the focus should remain on the economics history and capitalise the dissatisfactory of colonial and imperial studies, redefine ‘Global
History’.
2) Teaching perspective
Current student number is small. Broadening and deepening the MA programme could attract more students. The current two core courses in the Centre are good, but are not enough to be competitive.
It was discussed the MA study in Global History could be more appealing by collaborating with other disciplines, create course options that are flexible so that more of current members can teach.
UG study could include Global History modules; attract students from Erasmus programme; collaborating with other language institutions.
3) Structural perspective
The Centre is recognized by the Department and the University, yet needs to be
institutionalised to become a core part of Faculty.
It was discussed the ‘branding’ of the Centre, a mission statement could be published on the website. Each individual member should have links to the website to state their research and teaching fields.
Research focus should not be crowed in one or very few countries.
The replacement of high profile figures when they retire should come within the
Department.

6. Plans for the future (Strategy statement circulated)
It was discussed that a mission statement of the Centre should be published on the website. To arrange a small workshop to further discuss what we do.
Future grant application should include the costs of recruitment for admin jobs, such as ‘casual research assistant’ etc.
7. External advisor for next year
It was discussed to invite John Darwin to be the next new external advisor.
8. Clare announced that her 1.2m ERC grant application was shortlisted.