The event will be hosted by Dr Sarah Kenny, Dr Chris Moores, Dr Shahmima Akhtar, and Professor Karen Harvey.
The Centre for Modern British Studies (MBS) was established in 2014 at the University of Birmingham with a mission to advance the study of modern British history and culture.
In Montréal this November, MBS members—Dr Sarah Kenny, Dr Chris Moores, Dr Shahmima Akhtar, and Professor Karen Harvey—will be joined by University of Birmingham graduate students, postdocs, alumni, and prominent scholars to celebrate 125 years of the university, and confirm the institution’s role as a centre for cutting-edge research in British history, culture, and society.
Since its inception, MBS has hosted three major international conferences (2015, 2017, 2019) that have attracted distinguished speakers from global institutions in Britain, Europe, and North America, alongside representatives from the Social History Society, the Royal Historical Society, and the Institute of Historical Research. In 2026, MBS will host its fourth conference in Birmingham with funding from the British Academy, ensuring continued international influence and engagement.
Over the last decade, MBS has significantly contributed to the field, fostering over 50 books and many influential articles. Its conferences have produced working papers cited in leading journals such as Modern British History. The Centre has shaped scholarly debates on methodology and approach, as reflected in influential works like the Oxford Handbook of Modern British Political History. MBS’ impact extends through acknowledgement in numerous recent publications, including Alice Eden’s Spirituality, Feminism, and Pre-Raphaelitism in Modern British Art and Culture (2024) and Lucy Robinson’s Now That’s What I Call a History of the 1980s (2023).
Past and current members have served on prominent editorial boards, including Contemporary British History, Past and Present, and Women’s History Review. The Centre has secured major grants that have partnered with local and national organisations such as the BBC, National Trust, Crisis, Bournville Village Trust, and the Black Country Living Museum, helping to produce impactful research with social relevance.
Associate Professor in United States History
Biographical details of Dr Nathan Cardon, Department of History, University of Birmingham.
Assistant Professor of Modern British History
Biographical and contact information for Dr Sarah Kenny, Teaching Fellow in Modern British History at the University of Birmingham.
Senior Lecturer
Biographical information for Dr Christopher Moores, Senior Lecturer in the Department of History, University of Birmingham.
Assistant Professor in Black and South Asian British History
Biographical and contact information for Dr Shahmima Akhtar, Assistant Professor of Black and Asian British History at the University of Birmingham.
Professor of Cultural History
Biographical and contact information for Professor Karen Harvey, Professor of Cultural History at the University of Birmingham.
