London university appoints award-winning professor

Historian and award-winning author Professor Timothy Snyder will take up the Philippe Roman Chair in History and International Affairs at London School of Economics (LSE) for 2013-14. Professor Snyder is currently the Bird White Housum Professor of History at Yale University, specialising in the political history of central and eastern Europe as well as the Holocaust. A prolific author, he has written five award-winning books including Bloodlands: Europe between Hitler and Stalin, which has been awarded ten awards including the Emerson Prize in the Humanities and the Leipzig Award for European Understanding and was named on 12 book-of-the-year lists for 2010. The Philippe Roman Chair in History and International Affairs is based in LSE IDEAS, the centre for the study of international affairs, diplomacy and grand strategy. The annual post gives LSE the chance to bring a renowned academic from another part of the world to the School for a year of research, teaching and discussion. Professor Snyder said: “I am delighted to be returning to the UK, where I earned my doctorate, and feel privileged to be joining colleagues whom I greatly admire at LSE.” Professor Arne Westad, director of LSE IDEAS, said: “Tim Snyder has revolutionized our understanding of central and eastern European history in the 20th century. It will be a privilege to have him teach here next year.” The current holder of the post is Professor Anne Applebaum. Former Philippe Roman Chairs include Professors Ramachandra Guha, Niall Ferguson, Giles Keppel, Chen Jian and Paul Kennedy. Professor Snyder will take up the post at LSE in October 2013 and will give four public lectures over the academic year on Eastern Europe and the World as well as conduct a postgraduate seminar series entitled The Holocaust as World History.