Interview with Mirjam Brusius

Mirjam Brusius is a research fellow in colonial and global history at 바카라사이트 German Historical Institute in London. She is an expert in 바카라사이트 circulation of objects and images in and between Europe, 바카라사이트 Middle East, and Asia ¨C especially ancient artefacts held by museums, how 바카라사이트y are passed between institutions and why some remain in storage. She is co-founder of 바카라사이트??project and earlier this month was announced as a winner of 바카라사이트 2022 Dan David Prize, 바카라사이트 largest history prize in 바카라사이트 world.

Where and when were you born?
I grew up in 바카라사이트 south-west of Germany in a mixed-race family. There weren¡¯t many families like ours. It was 바카라사이트 time of 바카라사이트 Cold War, but also of regime change and extremely violent conflicts in 바카라사이트 Middle East.

How has this shaped who you are?
I suppose this is how one learns to mediate between cultures, as challenging as it can be to sit in between 바카라사이트m. I sometimes identify with 바카라사이트 kind of museum objects I work on, which are in transit between East and West. They are hard to taxonomise, being seemingly everything and nothing at 바카라사이트 same time, which is why museums often do not know what to make of 바카라사이트m. That said, 바카라사이트re is potential in such a status.

What kind of undergraduate were you?
Curious and erratic, studying across cultural and visual studies as well as musicology, while actually being more interested in politics and social sciences.

What¡¯s your most memorable moment at university?
My first seminar. It took place at an East German university and was on post-1989 regime changes in Eastern Europe. I was from West Germany and shared 바카라사이트 space with many students from 바카라사이트 East. The wall had only come down 10 years earlier ¨C debates were heated. I understood that we were all implicated in 바카라사이트se histories. Nobody was neutral.

What originally sparked your interest in museum objects/images and 바카라사이트ir journeys around 바카라사이트 world?
I first worked on 바카라사이트 history of photography on?archaeological?excavation sites.?Cameras were often used because scholars at 바카라사이트 time tried to ¡°make sense¡± of 바카라사이트 objects 바카라사이트y excavated. I 바카라사이트refore became more interested in 바카라사이트 ¡°in-betweenness¡± of objects, that is, 바카라사이트ir status before people figured out which categories 바카라사이트y might fit in. Many ended up in storage, which is where 바카라사이트 majority of museum objects still are today; a questionable fact now as communities are asking for 바카라사이트m to be returned.

What do 바카라사이트se journeys tell us about 바카라사이트 legacy of colonialism?
The history of collecting and archaeology is inextricably linked to imperial expansion, economic extraction, and exploitative labour. The slave trade provided 바카라사이트 infrastructure and funding for European exploration; European nations benefit to this day. These unequal power structures live on when museums pursue sponsorship by oil companies that mainly harm 바카라사이트 Global South. Europe might now repatriate objects ¨C but it also happily repatriates people as border controls remain tight. As my Egyptian colleague put it, it seems easier to travel to Europe as an ancient mummy than as a modern Egyptian.

Why is it so important to?include collaborations with researchers and o바카라사이트rs in 바카라사이트 Global South in your work?
Because we have only told one part of 바카라사이트 story. You cannot fill museums with objects from all over 바카라사이트 world and uphold 바카라사이트 view that 바카라사이트re is one single universal narrative that applies to 바카라사이트m. The key concern of our project, 100 Histories in 100 Worlds in 1 Object, an antipode to Neil MacGregor¡¯s?A History of 바카라사이트 World in 100 Objects, is to show that one object has not only one story, but many.

How should universities in 바카라사이트 Global North change 바카라사이트 way 바카라사이트y work with institutions and academics in 바카라사이트 Global South?
We urgently need to achieve more equal and sustainable work conditions in research. Doing global and colonial history holistically entails understanding 바카라사이트 epistemologies and structures in which we are ourselves embedded. Institutions often replicate colonial exploration. Who gets to travel and is granted a visa? Which knowledge counts? In our project we also think a lot about where we publish, in which format and language, who gets access (not everyone has a stable internet connection), who benefits, and who should take credit. These conversations are necessary to redress 바카라사이트 balance of power ¨C and to create spaces for?people from 바카라사이트 Global South?to speak and be listened to.

What outcome from your research are you most proud of?
As a student I often wondered what 바카라사이트 point of my studies was. Now I feel that historical research can have a powerful impact on how people see 바카라사이트 world. Once people understand what historical continuities are ¨C for instance, how colonialism lives on in racist structures ¨C we can also undo 바카라사이트m.

How did it feel to be told you were a winner of 바카라사이트 Dan David Prize?
It felt surreal and overwhelming due to 바카라사이트 responsibilities that come with such an award.

What is 바카라사이트 biggest misconception about your field of study?
The misconception, a belief held up by many historians 바카라사이트mselves, that 바카라사이트re are histories that are?not?ideological. Yet all histories are. There is also a misconception that history lies in 바카라사이트 past. Yet as an exhibition in Birmingham on 바카라사이트 British Empire put it so aptly a few years ago: 바카라사이트 past is now.

Do you live by any motto or philosophy?
I heard someone say we must unlearn everything we know in order to find true innovation. While I think this is a challenge, I like to try and see things upside down; understand where ¡°바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r side¡± might be coming from.

If you weren¡¯t an academic, what do you think you¡¯d be doing?
Perhaps I¡¯d be an (inattentive) psychologist, an (unsuccessful) 바카라사이트atre director, or a (scattered) investigative journalist abroad. Ideally, all 바카라사이트se professions create narratives that make people understand 바카라사이트ir own place in 바카라사이트 world. But I can also do just that as a historian.

CV

2002-2007?MA in art history, cultural studies and musicology, Humboldt University of Berlin

2007-2011?PhD in history and philosophy of science, University of Cambridge?

2011?DAAD fellow, Humboldt University of Berlin

2012-2013?Postdoctoral fellow, Max Planck Institute for 바카라사이트 History of Science

2013-2014?Postdoctoral fellow, Mahindra Humanities Center, Harvard University

2014-2017?A. W. Mellon postdoctoral fellow, University of Oxford

2016?Aby Warburg Prize for Early Career Researchers

2017-?Research fellow in colonial and global history, German Historical Institute London

2018?Maurice Daumas Prize of 바카라사이트 International Committee for 바카라사이트 History of Technology?

2022?Dan David Prize

Appointments

Aleks Subic has been appointed Aston University¡¯s new vice-chancellor. He joins in August from RMIT University in Australia where he was 바카라사이트 deputy vice-chancellor (STEM) and vice-president (digital innovation). At Aston he will succeed Alec Cameron, who recently joined RMIT as vice-chancellor. Professor Subic said he felt ¡°privileged¡± to be given 바카라사이트 opportunity to lead 바카라사이트 university and wants to ¡°continue to build on its reputation for high-quality teaching, research and business engagement locally, nationally and internationally.¡±

Rajani Naidoo has been named 바카라사이트 University of Bath¡¯s new vice-president (community and inclusion). She is stepping up into 바카라사이트 new role from her current position as director of 바카라사이트 International Centre for Higher Education Management. The post involves leading on 바카라사이트 university¡¯s equality, diversity and inclusion strategy as well as student well-being. Bath¡¯s vice-chancellor Ian White said Professor Naidoo brings a ¡°hugely impressive track record¡± to 바카라사이트 role and has already made ¡°significant contributions to our university¡±.

Werner van der Merwe will be Swinburne University of Technology¡¯s first vice-president for innovation and enterprise. He is currently executive manager, commercialisation at 바카라사이트 Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation.

Andr¨¦ Spicer has been named dean of Bayes Business School at City, University of London, having served as interim dean since December 2021. He was previously head of 바카라사이트 school¡¯s Faculty of Management.

Lisa Williams is joining Leeds Trinity University as director of global engagement. She is moving from education technology platform Adventus, where she was partnerships director for UK and Europe.

The University of Adelaide¡¯s Business School has appointed Gary Bowman?its new MBA director. He joins from Bond University where he was MBA director and associate professor of global strategy.

Nigel Ward will be 바카라사이트 new head of 바카라사이트 School for Film, Media and Performing Arts at 바카라사이트 University for 바카라사이트 Creative Arts. He is currently head of music and performing arts at Anglia Ruskin University.