Liz Egan, Jim Hulbert, and Catriona Sharples report on the workshop ‘New Frontiers in Imperial Networks’, focused particularly on the place of “networks” in our study of imperialism and colonialism

Rose Miyonga reports on the the ninth European Conference on African Studies (ECAS). The event, which brought together over 2,000 scholars from eighty countries, under the theme of ‘African Futures'. What emerged from this was a plurality of ways to conceptualise the future – of Africa and more generally – that led to an extremely rich conference programme, which stretched across time frames and spatial dimensions. Several Global History and Culture Centre students, staff and affiliates contributed to ECAS 2023.

PhD student Mathilde Alain explores Ethiopian-European interactions in the late fifteenth century and early sixteenth century via Francisco Álvares’ travel account. Álvares accompanied a Portuguese embassy to Ethiopia and his account depicts the diplomatic relations between the Portuguese and the Ethiopian sovereign, Ləbnä Dəngəl. Alain also highlights traces of contacts between Ethiopia and Europe in the account and points to its limits.

PhD student Niels Boender had a chance to research for, and be part of, the Channel 4 and Al Jazeera documentary ‘A Very British Way of Torture’, also featuring Professor David Anderson. The documentary focuses on the use of torture by the British colonial authorities in Kenya against members of the anti-colonial Man Mau movement, and traces the historical research into official British attempts to cover this up. Niels reflects on the research here.

In 2022, Warwick’s Global History and Culture Centre celebrated its 15th anniversary. Founded in 2007 by Professor Maxine Berg, GHCC was the first research centre dedicated to the field of global history to be established in the UK, and quickly took on a leading role in developing the methodology and practice of this sub-discipline. In this first blog post of 2023, GHCC Director Guido van Meersbergen looks back on some of the principal recent developments in the Centre's activities, and ahead towards key initiatives planned for the coming year.

The Golden Rhinoceros by François-Xavier Fauvelle is a leading work in the field of medieval African history, exploring this ‘golden age’ through archaeological evidence and accessible narratives. Packed with engaging material and a conversational tone, the book appeals to a wide readership, from established academics to those new to the topic. In this review, Lisa Taberner discusses the strengths of Fauvelle’s approach to this traditionally neglected branch of history, as well as weaknesses of the wider field.

Benjamin T. Smith reports on a recent research trip to Mexico, supported by Global History and Culture Centre funding, in which he conducted archival work into the life of La Nacha, one of the most significant women in the Mexican drug trade.

From a Ghanaian emphasis on respect for state leaders and Soviet-style patriotism to an Israeli interest on agricultural production and a scout-like enthusiasm for bushcraft, the creators of the Malawi Young Pioneers drew inspiration from a range of different places. In this blog, Emma Orchardson traces the origins of Malawi's agricultural-turned-paramilitary youth organisation and explores some of its foreign influences in the 1960s. In doing so it reveals the effect these had on the organisation’s early construction and development, as well as highlighting some of the wider international connections Malawi forged in the initial years of independence.