Oxford bids to become top global centre for studying America at time of unprecedented uncertainty in the global order
- Academic research hub with first permanent academic post in US politics established
- Teaching boost with plans for first postgraduate programme on US politics and government
- Public and policy engagement with dedicated fellowships and podcast reaching 30,000 per episode
Oxford University’s Rothermere American Institute (RAI) is investing in becoming the leading research centre for understanding the United States with a series of major new initiatives.
The RAI was established 25 years ago and has become the leading interdisciplinary centre in Europe for the study of the US. But in light of the turbulence in global politics, and new uncertainties about the United States’ current and future role in the international order, the Institute is now aiming to become the top destination for researchers, students, policymakers and the public not only in Europe but the US too.
Today, it is announcing its first permanent academic post in US politics, called the Churchill Chair of US Politics. Recruitment will begin immediately for the Associate Professorship, which has been permanently endowed thanks to an anonymous donation. The postholder will teach students, strengthen the RAI’s engagement with policymakers and the general public, and build a world-leading research group on US politics and international relations.
The chair is named after Sir Winston Churchill, the first recipient of honorary US citizenship, in recognition of his commitment to the Anglo-American relationship and his lifelong fascination with the dynamism and political creativity of America.
The new post will also allow the Institute to set up a taught one-year Master’s course in contemporary US politics and government. This would be Oxford’s first specialist programme in US politics, which will attract the next generation of leaders in public life, policy, scholarship, and business, training them to think in rigorous, historically-rooted ways about the great challenges of the present.
Professor Adam Smith, Director of the RAI (pictured interviewing Secretary Clinton for the RAI's podcast, above), said: “In a world in which there seems to be an ever-greater urgency to understand what America is doing and where it’s going, the RAI aims to provide thoughtful, evidence-based analysis. With our experience in framing the study of the United States from the outside in, we are perfectly positioned to become the go-to centre for policymakers and the wider public seeking an understanding of politics and policies.”
He added: “Through our new professorship and ambitious teaching plans, our goal is for the RAI to have a major real-world impact – not only through the students and visiting researchers who would work with us, but also by providing research-led advice on the United States to public and private stakeholders. The current restructuring of international relations gives us an opportunity to invest in achieving our vision of making Oxford the global centre for the study of US politics and their place in the global order.”
Professor Dan Grimley, Head of the Humanities Division at Oxford University, said: “Over the last 25 years, the Rothermere American Institute has built up an outstanding reputation as a place for thoughtful and evidence-based analysis of current American politics, drawing on its researchers’ deep understanding of history and the wider context. In recent years, that reputation has drawn in some of the most talented American students and researchers seeking to work with global colleagues to provide analysis and understanding of America from a distance. I am excited to see what results from its current moves to scale up its research and teaching capacities, coupled with an impressive policy and public engagement programme”
The RAI community comprises around 40 academics in Oxford, two visiting professors, more than 100 graduate students, and 8 postdoctoral researchers. US undergraduate students visit every year for a study abroad programme. The Institute champions public and academic understanding of US history, culture, and politics, and of America’s place in the world by hosting over 100 lectures, workshops, and seminars annually, drawing leading scholars, students, policymakers, and public figures to Oxford. Its podcast, which has around 30,000 listeners per episode, explores what makes America different through interviews and scripted documentaries, drawing on Oxford research and expertise.
