History
Founded in 1958 by Professor Virgínia Rau, the Centre for History of the University of Lisbon (CH-ULisboa) is one of the oldest Portuguese research units (R&D) dedicated to the historical sciences, a field in which it is a reference. Singular in its chronological transversality, the CH-ULisboa is organised around five research groups: Cultural Encounters and Intersecting Societies, Building and Connecting Empires, Uses of the Past, Court Studies and Diplomacy, and Military History.
Based in the School of Arts and Humanities of the University of Lisbon, the Centre has undergone several transformations during its six decades of existence. The scientific fields of Archaeology and Art History gained autonomy in 1994 and 2007, becoming independent research centres within the History Department of the School of Arts and Humanities of the University of Lisbon. In 2015, the Centre incorporated the former History Centre of the defunct Institute for Tropical and Scientific Research Institute (IICT) and its career researchers, thus allowing for a deeper development of several research areas existing at the CH-ULisboa.
In the last decade, the research developed at the CH-ULisboa has experienced a decisive growth in its internationalisation, as evidenced by the European projects in which it leads or is a participating institution, the number of researchers involved in international scientific projects and networks, in the organisation of (and presence at) international meetings, and the dissemination of the team’s results published in leading journals and publishing houses. The recognition of the team’s work is also clear in the Centre’s ability to attract visiting researchers and in the development of research internships at the CH-ULisboa in various fields.
Today, more than 60 years after its foundation, the Centre for History of the University of Lisbon remains committed to the development of cutting-edge historical research, as part of an increasingly pluralistic and global scientific community, while at the same time assuming a strong commitment to society and to the valorisation of local heritage resources.
