Recently, the internationally-renowned museum, The D-Day Story, published on their website a podcast recorded in 2022 by three second year History students, Amy Deighton, Jessie Rickman and Sam Marchetti. The students, who are now in the final year of their studies, worked with the museum’s archives as part of their assessment for the ‘Working with the Past’ module, coordinated by Mike Esbester. The second-year module encourages students to work with our local community partners where possible and produce work that has a benefit to them and the organisation they are working with. To hear the podcast, go to the D-Day Story website here.
Author: Robert James
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“Officers of the society”: Lloyd’s Register surveyors in China and transnational maritime networks, 1869-1918
On 14 December 2022 University of Portsmouth PhD researcher, Corey Watson, presented at the second joint Naval History/ History research seminar of the year. In the paper Corey, who is in the second year of his doctoral programme, discussed the crucial role that the small group of surveyors who worked for Lloyd’s Register in China played as middle-men in this global maritime system. If you missed the paper, the recording is available to watch here. You will need the following password MLFv8c.z to access the recording. An abstract for Corey’s paper is below. To read more about Corey’s PhD programme, generously funded by the Lloyd’s Register Foundation, see Dr Melanie Bassett’s blog on the Port Towns and Urban Cultures website.
Shanghai shortly after opening the port to foreign trade. Wikimedia Commons. AbstractIn 1869, a Lloyd’s Register ship and engineer Surveyor was for the first time posted to Shanghai, China. The surveyor, Joseph John Tucker, upon arriving in Shanghai marked the beginning of a rapid and global expansion of the Lloyd’s Register Society’s influence. By the end of the First World War the society had hundreds of surveyors in post across all five continents. These marine surveyors – veteran marine engineers whose expertise covered shipbuilding and maintenance, maritime safety, and maritime technology – played important roles in facilitating the ever-expanding networks of maritime knowledge, trade, and migration that increasingly connected the late 19th century world. This paper will draw on the concept of ‘new imperial history’ to investigate how these imperial maritime networks of knowledge functioned by analysing the lived experiences of these Lloyd’s Register surveyors. It also develops on a burgeoning literature which stresses the importance of these transnational networks and the ‘infrastructural globalization’ of the ‘world system’ that they underpinned. This paper will specifically engage with the themes of maritime knowledge networks, the movement of people, and the resultingly complex cultural identities that were produced. It will be shown first that by studying these maritime professionals, there can be found a number of interesting contradictions in the workings of maritime networks as the long reach of London struggled, with mixed success, to keep a degree of control over its agents far from home. Furthermore, it will be demonstrated that these surveyors, who played crucial roles as middle-men in these global maritime systems, found themselves with complicated and frequently shifting cultural identities and levels of professional agency as a result of their engagement with these networks. -
How to prepare for life after university: History graduates reveal how the University’s careers services helped them gain vital workplace experience
In this blog Luke Nicolson, who graduated with a History degree from Portsmouth in July (well done, Luke!), discusses a project he undertook as part of the second year module, ‘Working with the Past’. Luke and some of his fellow students interviewed recent UoP History graduates and asked them about their careers since graduating. In this blog Luke reveals that the various opportunities the students undertook while studying at Portsmouth helped them in their current careers. The module ‘Working with the Past’ is coordinated by Dr Mike Esbester.
With the findings of interviews from four graduates of History who studied at the University of Portsmouth, this blog will explore the effectiveness and usefulness of extracurricular activities and external placements in relation to a History degree and a full-time career post-graduation. Those interviewed were Melissa, Cathryn, Chloe and Rebecca. Each interviewee gave a detailed explanation on which activities and placements were helpful during their degree, and explored how they prepared them for the career they now undertake.
The first graduate to be interviewed for this research project was Melissa, who was a project manager for the Epsom race course mass vaccination centre on the NHS graduate scheme. Melissa explained how attending a careers fair put on by the University of Portsmouth was where she first heard about the NHS graduate scheme. Emphasising how useful and helpful the careers fairs are, Melissa recommended all students that are not completely sure about what career path they want pursue, should attend them. She shared how the fair offers a wide range of careers that would interest the majority of students. Melissa also shared how she participated in a variety of sports societies during her first year at the University of Portsmouth. She explained how this helped improve her social skills, which was extremely useful in preparing her for her chosen career. Frequently meeting new people also enhanced Melissa’s communication skills, allowing her to communicate more effectively with her university tutors which helped improve her degree. Overall, Melissa explored how being proactive in relation to extra-curricular and external activities can be very useful in helping with your History degree and career once graduated.
The next person to be interviewed was Cathryn. Currently, Cathryn works in a member of Parliament’s constituency office where she regularly carries out case work and organises constituency events. During her time at the University of Portsmouth, Cathryn was a part of the History Society and actively attended the weekly social meets. She explained how these drastically improved her social and communication skills. Cathryn also explained how the History Society was very useful in helping her in her degree. Discussing and debating with like-minded students helped enhance her analytical skills, leading to improvements in her research and assignments. As well as participating within the History Society, Cathryn also undertook part time work experience. She explained how this helped improve her time management within her degree; she became more proactive which coincided with more in depth and thorough research. She also noted that part time work experience fully prepared her for her full-time career; she had the skills and experience required to carry out her job to an excellent standard. Overall, Cathryn emphasised the importance of taking part in extra-curricular societies and gaining part time work experience during a degree. She explained how these activities gave her sufficient skills and experience to improve your degree and prepare you for a full-time career.
Next to be interviewed was Chloe, who is currently employed as the Records Manager and Policy Officer for the Falkland Islands Government. During her first year at the University of Portsmouth, Chloe became an Archive volunteer at the Portsmouth City museum. Chloe strongly emphasised how important and useful this activity was in relation to her degree and career post-graduation. Firstly, she touched on some of the skills and attributes she gained from this volunteer placement that helped her with her degree and career. These included the ability to catalogue archival material, assisting and organising exhibitions, assessing the conditions of records and conducting basic preservation and conservation work. Chloe explained how all these skills directly linked to her History degree and ensured her research and assignments were completed to a level of high quality. Chloe also shared how the placement fitted well with her History degree. She was able to take advantage of the records and archives held at the museum. This placement also created valuable and useful connections for Chloe to use as referees to support her throughout her career. Finally, the placement helped Chloe gain professional accreditation as a registered member of the Archive Records Association, which was key to her progressing in her chosen career. Overall, Chloe showed how her volunteering placement was extremely helpful for her degree and her career post-graduation. She explained how this placement gave her various skills that benefited her research and also gave her the connections to help her progress through her career.
The final person to be interviewed was Rebecca. Currently, Rebecca works as a curator at the National Museum of the Royal Navy in Portsmouth. During her time at the University of Portsmouth, Rebecca volunteered for a year and a half at the Royal Navy Submarine museum in Gosport. During her placement here, Rebecca gained key skills that helped her with her degree and full-time career once graduated. For example, she shared how the placement improved her confidence and social skills. The placement enhanced her ability to debate with other historians and improved her research and analytical skills. This helped with her degree as she was able to carry out more thorough and detailed research to create well written assignments. Rebecca also noted how the connections she made during her placement were useful when she applied for full time employment. Overall, Rebecca shared how volunteering can enhance your research and analytical skills, improve your confidence and increase your connections for possible full-time employment throughout your career.
All four interviews give a detailed and thorough explanation on why extra-curricular activities and external placements were important and useful in relation to current degrees and full-time employment. Attending career fairs, participating in societies, taking a placement, or volunteering allowed them to learn the necessary skills required for a History degree and also provided valuable connections which they all used to progress in their careers.
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From History graduate to business co-founder
In this blog we celebrate the achievements of History graduate Callum Miller who is co-founder of ethy – a digital solutions company that allows consumers to make more responsible buying decisions, build confidence in sustainable brands, and help towards solving the climate change crisis. Callum was interviewed by our alumni engagement team about his journey from studying History at the University of Portsmouth to being co-founder of a purpose-led company, and the interview reveals how resourceful History graduates are, something also highlighted in recent studies by organisations such as the British Academy,
To read Callum’s interview, ‘Restoring consumer confidence in sustainable brands’, follow this link. Well done, Callum. Great work!
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Pompey: Champions of England: A research collaboration between the History team, students and Pompey History Society
In this blog, our Rob James, Senior Lecturer in History, discusses the local history project he worked on with one of our local community partners, Pompey History Society, that culminated in the publication of a book which includes a chapter written by Rob and four of our History students, Sam Ewart, Maria Kopanska, Dan Ward and Jack Woolley. Rob’s research explores society’s leisure activities and feeds into a number of optional and specialist modules that he teaches in the second and third year.
‘POMPEY Champions of England’ front cover On 26 October 2022, I attended the launch of the book POMPEY Champions of England: The sporting and social history of Portsmouth FC’s league title wins in 1949 & 1950, edited by the chair of Pompey History Society (PHS) Colin Farmery. The book launch, held at Portsmouth City Museum, was the culmination of the project ‘POMPEY: Champions of England’, run by PHS and generously funded by the Heritage Fund.
I have been involved with the project from its inception. Many years ago now, Colin Farmery contacted me and asked if I was willing to be on the steering committee of a project that intended to capture, through undertaking oral history interviews, the memories of fans who witnessed Portsmouth Football Club’s back-to-back title wins in the 1948-49 and 1949-50 seasons. Of course, I jumped at the opportunity to be involved in the project. It allowed me to be more closely involved with the history of the football club I’d supported for many years, and also provided me with an opportunity to get the University, and more importantly, our students, involved and working with a local community organisation.
Despite being disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic, the project progressed well, and around 40 interviews were conducted and archived, leading to the production of a supplement of fan memories in the local newspaper The News, and the unveiling of a permanent exhibition at Fratton Park in late 2021.
Pompey: Champions of England exhibition at Fratton Park The final aim of the project was to publish a book that placed the fans’ memories within the social and sporting context of the time they were visiting Fratton Park to watch Pompey achieve their incredible feat of consecutive title wins. The book was divided into the themes that had been drawn out from the testimonies of the supporters who were interviewed, and these included their memories of living in war-torn Portsmouth, the match-day experience, and the important role the football club played (and continues to play) in the local community. As editor, Colin Farmery had already commissioned a number of the chapters, but he approached me and asked if our students would like to be involved in writing a chapter on the theme of ‘Women and Football’. Of course, I said yes!
First page of the chapter written by Rob, Sam, Maria, Dan and Jack Fortunately, one of our second year core modules, ‘Working with the Past’, is specifically designed to enable our students to work with the many local organisations who the History team are involved with. My colleagues and I work with the module’s coordinator, Mike Esbester, to offer students a suite of choices that allow them to gain valuable experience by working with these community partners.
One of the choices I put forward was the opportunity to work with Pompey History Society, and we recruited four students, Sam Ewart, Maria Kopanska, Dan Ward and Jack Woolley, to work with the organisation. Colin invited the students to Fratton Park so that he could introduce them to the aims of the project. He also gave them a behind-the-scenes tour of the stadium, which included showing them the project’s permanent exhibition as well as a look at the Society’s archive. The task was set: the students were to be given access to all of the interviews that were conducted with female fans so that they could begin the research for their chapter.
History students visiting the exhibition at Fratton Park For the project, four female fans – Joan Elder, Audrey Hawkins, Joan Phillips, and Maggie Thoyts – were interviewed. The students each took one of the testimonies, evaluated it, and wrote up a section for the chapter, which also coupled as part of their assessment for the module. I came back in at the end of the process and edited the students’ contributions so that the chapter ran along a thematic line, introducing additional contextual material to build a full picture of the women’s experience of being a female football fan in the 1940s and early 1950s.
Lady Mayor Maria Costa speaking at the book launch So, there we have it, the book has been launched and the students are now published authors. That’s something to catch the eye of a prospective employer! Pompey History Society are thrilled with the work the students have done, and we are currently discussing what future projects our students could be involved with (I’m on the ‘125 Committee’ which is planning a series of activities to coincide with the 125th anniversary of the formation of Portsmouth Football Club in 1898). All in all, it’s been a great experience and I am so proud of our students’ achievements. Well done Dan, Jack, Maria, and Sam!
Colin Farmery, Sam Ewart and Rob James at the book launch -
A History degree can open many doors II: A student interviews UoP History graduates
In this blog Archie Godden, recent History with American Studies graduate from Portsmouth, discusses a project he undertook as part of the second year module, ‘Working with the Past’. Archie and some of his fellow students interviewed recent UoP History graduates and asked them about their careers since graduating, Archie found out that having a degree in the Arts and Humanities has been really beneficial to them, something also highlighted in recent studies by organisations such as the British Academy, which Archie also discusses here. The module ‘Working with the Past’ is coordinated by Dr Mike Esbester.
A History degree offers the potential for a vast range of jobs, so whether or not you know what you want to do in the future, a degree in History is a great choice to make yourself highly employable. Not only does a Humanities degree grant you access to an extensive list of jobs and the flexibility to move between them, but also gives you the skills needed to be a highly employable individual. This employability is only expected to increase in the future, as current world issues will change the job market to demand new skills. Out of ten of the highest valued skills for the future, the University of Portsmouth’s History degree already offers nine, with the possibility of more in the future. Therefore, the course is extremely advantageous both now and in the future for making you more employable and granting access to a wide range of opportunities. We interviewed four previous students of the UoP History degree about their current careers to demonstrate just a few examples of what can be achieved.
Firstly, we interviewed Cathryn, who works as an assistant to a Member of Parliament, working in his constituency office. On a day to day basis, Cathryn processes things like casework; replying to queries, organising constituency events and meeting local organisations and schools to bridge the gap between the MP and the constituency. She explains that she didn’t know what she wanted to do whilst on the History course, and being an assistant to an MP was something she had never even considered before it came up. However, the skills she gained from studying a History degree allowed her to apply for and be granted the job. She also outlines the other pathways that were available to her, such as opportunities in law through taking a conversion course. She would recommend the History course for, “preparing you for the world of work with a broad spectrum of skills”, both supplying students with a range of choices of occupation and the appropriate skills to secure such jobs.
Next, we interviewed Chloe, who works as the Records Manager and Policy Officer for the Falklands Islands government. Chloe supports the management of all government records; adding records to the database and writing new guidance policies completely from scratch. Additionally, she designs storage facilities for holding records and develops the government’s electronic records and much more on a daily basis. The History course, “enhanced a variety of skills”, that allow her to complete such a broad range of tasks. The opportunities provided by the university, as well as local experience in Portsmouth, provided Chloe with the skill set and experience to excel in her field. She remarks that a History degree makes graduates well-rounded and that just among her cohort, students went into vastly different jobs, such as an administrator in the Houses of Parliament, a History teacher and herself, an archivist.
Melissa works on the NHS Graduate Scheme and, at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, worked as Project Manager at a vaccination centre. On a daily basis, she ensured that health and safety checks were undertaken, contracts were completed as well as making sure the vaccine was ordered properly. She explains that during her course she had no idea what career to go into. However, a University Careers Fair revealed an opportunity in the NHS, demonstrating that History could lead her to a more analytical role which better suited her. “History opens so many doors” and provided her a lifeline to get into the position she is in today, despite not initially applying for the course. Originally, she wanted to do a Sports Science degree. However, she describes how a History degree got her into a better position as she began to lose interest in the sport side. Chloe’s advice to students would be to, “look for any and all opportunities and when they come, just take them”, as History can lead to any kind of job route, even those you don’t expect or may be unaware of, as in her case.
Finally, we interviewed Rebecca, a curator at the National Museum of the Royal Navy in Portsmouth. Every day, Rebecca is involved in both the care and management of the collection, ensuring it is catalogued correctly, checking for pests, and interpreting it for visitors through means such as galleries and research visits. After graduating, Rebecca also completed a Master’s degree in Museum Studies, which is needed (or an equivalent qualification) to get into the role and is an example of another option for students who want to remain in education after their initial course. Rebecca explains how she had a very clear idea that this was the profession to which she aspired. Nonetheless, the History course provided a wide variety of careers opportunities. She recommends gaining as much experience as possible, which can help in both finding a career path you may enjoy, as well as aiding with standing out in future applications to jobs. Additionally, she reveals that with the changes the global pandemic has made to careers worldwide, the adaptability and skills that came with the course have aided in transferring to a new way of working.
Overall, the interviewees prove that there are an extremely wide range of careers available to anyone who studies a History degree; from museum curator to working in the NHS Graduate Scheme. A report by The British Academy suggests that in the future a growing, “range of sectors across the economy”, will need people with Humanities degrees. History provides much needed skills for employment, as well as greater flexibility and choice of work. In the future, this will only grow more as the impact of the pandemic sees, “local economies growing their creative industries employment twice as fast as other sectors”. History is an excellent subject to take regardless whether you have a clear career choice in mind or not, due to the wealth of opportunities it throws open, and Portsmouth is a great place to do it!
Bibliography:
“Qualified for the Future”, The British Academy, https://www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/documents/1888/Qualified-for-the-Future-Quantifying-demand-for-arts-humanities-social-science-skills.pdf
Reidy, Tess. “Arts graduates are flexible’: why humanities degrees are making a comeback”. The Guardian.https://www.theguardian.com/education/2021/feb/16/why-humanities-degrees-are-making-a-comeback. Last accessed 30/03/2021.
