How the UK is coming to terms with its imperial past

The police killing of George Floyd in 2020 sparked a wave of global protests that continues to reverberate today. Under the banner of Black Lives Matter, activists around the world continue to highlight how current social racism is linked to the past of imperialism and transatlantic slavery. However, the demand for this reckoning has not been limited to activist circles. In the United Kingdom, formerly the world's largest empire, a broad range of actors – from government officials to companies, museums and universities – wanted to come to terms with UKs historical responsibility after 2020.

Understanding the potential and limitations of coming to terms with the past

A new research project led by Prof. Dr. Insa Lee Koch from the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at HSG now aims to investigate how this reappraisal is unfolding in institutional, corporate and grassroots contexts and what potential and limitations it has in overcoming systemic and material inequalities today. The researchers also aim to develop new theories, methods and teaching materials to combat deep-rooted injustices. In addition, they will contribute to the complex public debates on how to deal with the history of colonialism and slavery in European communities. The four-year project started in April 2025, run until April 2029 and has been awarded CHF 811,810 in funding from the Swiss National Science Foundation. Prof. Farhan Samanani from King's College London is involved as a project partner. Dr Victoria Klinkert, currently research assistant at the Chair of British Cultures at HSG, will be participating in the project as a post-doctoral researcher, and two further PhD students were hired for the project in April 2025.

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