The Department of History of the University of Liverpool invites applications from students from across the Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities for two studentships (UK/EU fees-waivers) for the MA in International Slavery Studies, both part time and full time. Applications are accepted from students of all nationalities. Each studentship will cover an amount equivalent to full EU/UK fees or partial overseas fees. The successful applicants will at the appropriate time develop MA dissertations focusing on topics related to the relationship between slavery, gender, forced marriage, and conflict-related sexual violence. The deadline for applications is 2:00 p.m. on Friday 3 June 2011.

Slavery Studies at the University of Liverpool
The MA in International Slavery Studies focuses on the history of slavery and emancipation across time and space. It looks at slavery as an extreme form of exploitation; a system of labour; and a source of trade. Students taking this program analyse the institution of slavery in different places and periods, and enquire in the experience of enslavement from the perspective of enslaved groups.

Teaching: The two core modules introduce and evaluate the main currents in historical and interdisciplinary research on slavery. Topics, taught by regional experts, progress in a chronological order and focus on Europe and the Mediterranean; West Africa; and the Americas. They include sessions on slavery in classical Greece and Rome; debates over the relation between slavery and serfdom in medieval and modern Europe; Islamic slavery in Africa and the Ottoman Empire; historical forms of indigenous African slavery; the trans-Saharan and Indian Ocean trades; the trans-Atlantic trade and slavery in the Americas; and slavery’s legacies in US society. The final sessions consider the causes and consequences of world legal abolition and the vestiges of slavery in the contemporary world. Race and gender constitute cross-cutting themes. Additional modules provide further training on theory, methodology, and research skills. At conclusion of the MA, students submit a 15,000-word dissertation, which is intended to be an original work of scholarship and research.

Context: The program builds on Liverpool’s unique position as a major Atlantic port and on the Department of History’s expertise in slavery studies. It benefits from the presence in Liverpool of a set of slavery-focused institutions, such as the International Slavery Museum and the Centre for the Study of International Slavery, which is a partnership between the University of Liverpool and National Museums Liverpool. The University, ISM and CSIS host slavery-related events and seminars with invited international speakers throughout the year, and MA students are encouraged to take full advantage of the opportunities these provide to complement the formal curriculum.

Further information on the MA and application guidelines can be found on the MA website: http://www.liv.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/taught_courses/international-slavery-studies.htm

How to apply
The studentships are made available as part of an international research partnership funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, focusing on 'Forced Marriage, Gender, and Conflict Situations' with a regional emphasis on West Africa. Successful MA applicants will be able to follow the ongoing research and findings of the partnership, and their dissertations will contribute to the main partnership themes.

In order to apply for a studentship, please submit the following material:

1) A completed application form;
2) A proposal of up to 1,000 words explaining the research questions that will be addressed; the regional focus of the MA project; and the approach and methods that you plan to employ.

Please direct enquiries to ms. Valerie Fry, vfry@liverpool.ac.uk