Head of the Academic Platform: doc. PhDr. Jan Koura, Ph.D.
The Research Platform for Global and Transnational History focuses on the study of historical processes that transcend the boundaries of states, regions, and cultural spheres, with a particular emphasis on research into the history of Central and Southeastern Europe.
The platform examines the interconnectedness of societies, ideas, actors, and institutions, as well as the movement and circulation of people, knowledge, and material resources, and seeks to place them within interpretative frameworks broader than the national level. Its research concentrates on transnational and global interactions on various levels – political, diplomatic, social, cultural, and environmental. Special attention is devoted to the relationships between the Czech lands and the East-Central European region and non-European parts of the world, and to situating these relationships within broader global contexts.
Chronologically, the platform spans from the early modern period to contemporary history and traces the transformations of global interconnectedness in the context of colonialism, imperialism, globalization, and postcolonial processes, with particular emphasis on the Cold War era. Methodologically, it stresses the connection between micro- and macro historical perspectives and the analysis of historical phenomena at different scales – from the local and regional to the global. It draws inspiration from approaches in global history, transnational history, transfer history, comparative and connected histories, and postcolonial studies.
The platform organizes teaching and final state examinations of the former Institute of World History (within the History–European Studies study programme and the Master’s programme in General/World History).
The thematic areas developed within the platform include in particular:
Members: