Weatherhead Research Cluster on Global History
This cluster began in 2011 as the Weatherhead Initiative on Global History, before becoming a research cluster in 2017.
Global history is one of the leading new approaches in recent years that has helped to transform the study of the past. The contemporary trends summarized under the term “globalization” have lent urgency to research that examines historical processes, networks, identities, and events across the boundaries of the nation-states that traditionally served as the privileged framework for much of the discipline. Historians worldwide have contributed to exciting research on the trends that so many societies have undergone together—whether economic and demographic, religious and cultural, or political and military. In the process, global history has drawn on the expertise of political scientists, sociologists, art historians, economists, anthropologists, and others.
The Weatherhead Initiative on Global History was the first of Weatherhead's original “research clusters” designed to build on and focus its Faculty Associates’ leadership in new directions for international study. As cochairs, Professors Beckert and Maier organized a steering committee among the many faculty in history, social sciences, and from the professional schools, including the Harvard Kennedy School and the Harvard Graduate School of Design. The cluster has received additional funding from the Volkswagen Foundation and other University programs, as well.
In 2025–2026, we continue the popular global history seminar and welcome an international cohort of postdoctoral scholars and visiting fellows. We have negotiated strategic partnerships with leading centers for global history abroad: the International Institute of Social History in Amsterdam, Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar in Senegal, East China Normal University in Shanghai, University of Delhi in India, and University of São Paulo in Brazil. Embedding the research cluster in a network of like-minded institutions around the globe inserts Harvard students and scholars into the networks of research on global history and provides bases for their research sojourns abroad. Global history is a global activity, and with us serving as a cohesive hub, Harvard can play a key role in helping shape this cooperative endeavor.
Administration
The Weatherhead Research Cluster on Global History is chaired by Professors Sven Beckert, Sugata Bose, and Charles S. Maier. Jessica Barnard is the cluster administrator.
Sven Beckert
beckert@fas.harvard.edu
Sugata Bose
sbose@fas.harvard.edu
Charles S. Maier
csmaier@fas.harvard.eduResearch interests: Modern European history; US-Europe relations; political economy; and global history projects.
Jessica Barnard
jbarnard@wcfia.harvard.edu
Current Affiliates (2025–2026)
Jessica Barnard
jbarnard@wcfia.harvard.edu
Sven Beckert
beckert@fas.harvard.edu
Sugata Bose
sbose@fas.harvard.edu
Charles S. Maier
csmaier@fas.harvard.eduResearch interests: Modern European history; US-Europe relations; political economy; and global history projects.
Stephen Ortega
stephen_ortega@fas.harvard.edu
Francesca Viano
fviano@wcfia.harvard.edu
All Weatherhead Research Clusters
Born out of a need to complement the Center’s traditional focus of supporting individual faculty and student research, our Weatherhead Research Clusters revolve around hefty questions for the social sciences and the world. These research clusters represent core faculty interests, and aim to make a significant contribution by pushing the frontier of knowledge in their respective fields.
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Learn more about the business and government research cluster >
How do we extend cultural membership to the greatest number in society? Gain a better understanding of the social and cultural processes behind recognition gaps? Determine how social scientists and policy makers can better respond to help make societies more inclusive? By bringing together academics from a variety of disciplines and institutions, the cluster fosters a research community that seeks to build up the systemic theory around inequality and recognition gaps and create sustained opportunities for cross-pollination of ideas. Cluster affiliates have studied a wide range of topics—including racism, xenophobia, homophobia, immigration, destigmatization, incorporation, citizenship, indigeneity, and more—across various national and transnational contexts.
Learn more about the comparative inequality and inclusion research cluster >
Addressing climate change requires global collective action, underpinned by international institutions, frameworks, and policies. However, current climate action is moving too slowly—due to unwieldy policy structures and obstacles presented by multipronged core missions, among other reasons. This research cluster aims to accelerate the pace and scale of climate action by identifying and developing new global policy initiatives that address the challenges at hand. We leverage experts across many fields at Harvard and MIT to generate policy ideas, galvanize action, and engage students and alumni toward a deeper understanding of international climate coordination.
Learn more about the global climate policy research cluster >
Global history is one of the leading new approaches in recent years that has helped to transform the study of the past. The contemporary trends summarized under the term “globalization” have lent urgency to research that examines historical processes, networks, identities, and events across the boundaries of the nation-states that traditionally served as the privileged framework for much of the discipline. Historians worldwide have contributed to exciting research on the trends that so many societies have undergone together. In the process, global history has drawn on the expertise of political scientists, sociologists, art historians, economists, anthropologists, and others. This research cluster was designed to build on and focus its faculty leadership in new directions for international study.
The deliberate targeting of LGBTQI+ communities is part of an increasingly coordinated and well-resourced transnational strategy to polarize societies, weaken democratic institutions, and expand illiberal influences. This rising transnational threat is in many respects a reactionary backlash against hard-earned advances won by and for LGBTQI+ people over the last generation. This research cluster examines the interplay of state and nonstate actors as leading drivers of this global backlash against democracy and human rights. We convene leading human rights scholars, policymakers, practitioners, and activists to produce cutting-edge interdisciplinary research, data-informed policy recommendations, and new public engagement and culture change strategies to promote the safety and security—and protect and advance the human rights—of LGBTQI+ people worldwide.
Learn more about the global LGBTQI+ human rights research cluster >
Ethnic and sectarian conflict are on the rise across the world—or at least show few signs of abatement—making it urgent to understand why some communities develop norms and practices of toleration, achieve reconciliation, or resist the politicization of these identities. When intergroup tensions have ratcheted up, is it possible to mitigate the impact? Can a shared civic identity be (re)constructed in the wake of violence waged in the name of nationalism, ethnicity, or religion? This research cluster explores ways to improve intergroup relations in postconflict countries by bringing together a worldwide network of scholars that will draw on evidence from diverse global regions.
Learn more about the identity and conflict research cluster >
Valuing Accessibility
The Weatherhead Center for International Affairs welcomes affiliates with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you are associated with the Weatherhead Center or one of its programs and would like to request accommodations or have questions about the physical access provided, please get in touch with your program coordinator in advance of your participation. Requests for Sign Language interpreters and/or CART providers should be made at least two weeks in advance, if possible. Please note that the university will make every effort to secure services, but that services are subject to availability.