The Oxford Centre for Economic and Social History builds on a long and established tradition of teaching and research at the University of Oxford. In recent years, our group has provided Presidents of the Economic History Society, Economic History Association, and European Historical Economics Society; won several major research awards (including the Economic History Association’s Gerschenkron, Ranki, and Cole Prizes, the Explorations Prize in Economic History, and the European Research Council’s Advanced Investigator Award); and delivered prestigious invited lectures such as the Economic History Society's Tawney Lecture.
The Centre works with the History Faculty and Department of Economics to coordinate and facilitate graduate programmes in the discipline. It organizes two weekly economic and social history seminars, and other events involving faculty and students. The Centre also publishes, in collaboration with the Department of Economics, the Oxford University Discussion Papers in Economic and Social History.
Oxford's economic and social historians are diverse. We conduct research spanning a wide range of periods and regions, and are acknowledged leaders and innovators in social science, historical and statistical methodology. Current research strengths include:
- Institutions and economic development
- The industrial revolution and innovation
- Comparative productivity and living standards
- 19th and 20th century financial history
- Trade and globalization
- Family and economy
- Economy and environment
- Long-run British economic history
- Economic history of modern South-east Asia
- Economic history of modern China
- Economic history of modern Italy
- Economic history of postcolonial Africa
- Economic history of the Islamic world
The Centre hosts public and disciplinary events, workshops and colloquiums.
Further information is available on the economic history page on the Economics Department website.
