Digital Week Thirteen: Humanities and Policy

As Louie Fooks says, "While some may assume humanities have less to offer policy than – for instance – science, technology and data-driven subjects, humanities researchers find their perspectives are much sought-after by policy makers. The disciplines can offer insights into ethical debates, bring a human perspective to tech development and data interpretation, and provide compelling narratives to illustrate issues."

For the thirteenth week of TORCH Goes Digital, we focused on the theme of Humanities and Policy. Popular content included Disability Narratives and Histories, What Have the Humanities to Teach the Modern University?, and Activist Humanities in a Global Context

The TORCH Heritage programme’s ability to build sustainable partnerships between Oxford staff, students and organisations at different scales across the UK that deliver mutual benefit has attracted the attention of policy makers. Early work through the Thames Valley Country House Partnership featured in the National Centre for Universities and Business State of the Relationship report in 2015, and the flagship partnership with the National Trust in 2019. Our Knowledge Transfer Partnership, Trusted Source, was included in the influential Mendoza Review, which outlined key recommendations for how the government can support the museums sector in England.  

TORCH Goes Digital: Humanities and Policy Infographic

In the article ‘Nuremberg War Crimes Trials 70 Years On: A Complex Legacy’ Jan Lemnitze examines the legal reality of the Nuremberg War Crime Trials. As leading international criminal lawyer William Schabas remembers, “when I studied law, in the early 1980s, the Nuremberg Trial was more a curiosity than a model”.

On the evening of Thursday 18th June, we had our eleventh Big Tent, Live Events! live-streamed event: The World After CoVid: In conversation with Professor Peter Frankopan and Professor Ngaire Woods. The discussion was fascinating, with plenty of topics and ideas brought to light, and a great deal of audience participation.