Monthly Archives: April 2013

Dutch Royal Coronation

Posted on April 30, 2013 by briansandberg

The Dutch people are getting a new monarch. Willem-Alexander is being crowned King of the Netherlands in elaborate coronation ceremonies today in Amsterdam. Queen Beatrix abdicated in favor of her son, Willem Alexander, ensuring the continuation of rule by the … Continue reading →

Posted in Early Modern Europe, Empires and Imperialism, European History, European Union, European Wars of Religion, Noble Culture and History of Elites, Political Culture | Leave a comment

Mediterranean Seminar Workshop

Posted on April 29, 2013 by briansandberg

The University of California at Santa Cruz will be hosting the Mediterranean Seminar’s Spring Symposium and Workshop this week on 2-4 May 2013. I am excited to be attending the Symposium and participating in the Workshop this year. I am … Continue reading →

Posted in Conferences, Early Modern World, Maritime History, Mediterranean World, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

The Cost of MOOCs

Posted on April 29, 2013 by briansandberg

Lost in all the excitement about Massive Open Online Courses [MOOCs] is the cost of development, maintenance, and teaching the online courses. A number of universities and colleges have already partnered with edX, Coursera, and other MOOC provider companies. Many … Continue reading →

Posted in Academic Freedom, Digital Humanities, Education Policy, Humanities Education, Information Management, Undergraduate Work in History | 3 Comments

Political Violence in Italy

Posted on April 28, 2013 by briansandberg

A Calabrian man attempted to shoot Italian politicians being sworn into office in Rome today. The gunman failed to reach politicians, but wounded several police officers before being apprehended. Italy has a long history of political turmoil related to ideological … Continue reading →

Posted in Civil Conflict, European History, European Union, History of Violence, Italian History, Terrorism | Leave a comment

Early Modern Atlantic World: Slavery, Race, Governance

Posted on April 21, 2013 by briansandberg

The Center for African American History at Northwestern University held a conference this weekend on “The Early Modern Atlantic World: Slavery, Race, Governance.” I was able to attend two sessions of the conference and heard some fascinating presentations by Kristin … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic World, Civilians and Refugees in War, Conferences, Early Modern Europe, Early Modern World, European History, History of Violence, Human Rights, Mediterranean World, War, Culture, and Society | 1 Comment

Faculty Governance and MOOCs

Posted on April 20, 2013 by briansandberg

The faculty of Amherst College have voted to reject a proposal to join edX in providing Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). Professors across the United States can appreciate this rare instance of faculty empowerment that affirms the principle of faculty … Continue reading →

Posted in Digital Humanities, Education Policy, Humanities Education, Information Management, The Past Alive: Teaching History, Undergraduate Work in History | Leave a comment

Graduate Student Research Revises Economic Advice

Posted on April 20, 2013 by briansandberg

Graduate student research ideally develops new analysis and criticism by employing new evidence and/or new methods. Thomas Herndon, a graduate student in Economics at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, recently made a finding that has major significance for economic policies worldwide. … Continue reading →

Posted in Academic Publishing, European History, European Union, Globalization, Graduate Work in History, Historiography and Social Theory, Information Management, Political Culture | Leave a comment

Blogs about War and Society

Posted on April 14, 2013 by briansandberg

It is sometimes difficult to find an audience for academic blogs and internet resources amid the vast blogosphere. I am pleased to find that this blog has been featured in an article on blogs that deal with war and society … Continue reading →

Posted in Digital Humanities, Gender and Warfare, History of Violence, Humanities Education, Information Management, War, Culture, and Society, Warfare in the Early Modern World, Women and Gender History | Leave a comment

Rape in the Syrian Civil War

Posted on April 14, 2013 by briansandberg

Sexual assault often accompanies military conflict. In many wars, some soldiers use their armed power to inflict sexual violence on prisoners and civilians. Sexual violence can at times become systematic, targeting specific groups of combatants or civilians to intimidate and … Continue reading →

Posted in Civil Conflict, Civilians and Refugees in War, Gender and Warfare, History of Violence, Human Rights, War, Culture, and Society, Women and Gender History | Leave a comment

The Danger of Pre-emptive Strikes

Posted on April 13, 2013 by briansandberg

With tensions already running high on the Korean peninsula, many American policy-makers and advisers are talking tough. Now historian Jeremi Suri has weighed in, arguing in an op-ed in the New York Times that “the Korean crisis has now become … Continue reading →

Posted in Early Modern Europe, Empires and Imperialism, European History, European Wars of Religion, French History, French Wars of Religion, History of Violence, Human Rights, Laws of War, Political Culture, Strategy and International Politics, War, Culture, and Society, Warfare in the Early Modern World | 1 Comment