BIHG Annual Conference 2026
2-4 September 2026
Loughborough University

More information to come in 2026

Welcome to the British International History Group

The British International History Group (BIHG) was established in 1987. It aims to consider and promote established and new approaches to the study of international affairs as a discipline of history.

The primary focus of the BIHG is its annual conference, of which it has held over 30, mainly at UK universities. These gatherings foster the scholarship of postgraduates and early career researchers alongside the work of senior academics. With over 700 members from Asia, Europe and North America, the BIHG has global reach.

The BIHG is governed by an elected committee of historians at varied career stages and co-opted members from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the UK National Archives. It sponsors an annual thesis prize named in honour of Professor Mike Dockrill and offers career and research support for PGRs and ECRs. At its annual conference, it holds roundtables which explore disciplinary and interdisciplinary innovations. The BIHG also invites leading scholars as keynote speakers to consider new approaches to the study of the past and the relevance of international history to contemporary global concerns.

2025 Memorial Lecture Prof Michael & Saki Dockrill

Unfortunately the Annual Dockrill Memorial Lecture scheduled for 20 November 2025 has been postponed. The School of Security Studies at King's College London sends its apologies, but unfortunately Professor Richard Aldrich now needs to undergo surgery close to the lecture date, so we’ll be rearranging the event to allow him sufficient time to recover and reschedule.

We aim to re-book the lecture before the end of Summer 2026. In the meantime, we at BIHG send our best wishes to Professor Aldrich for a speedy recovery from his procedure and look forward to the Dockrill Lecture in a few months time.

News & Events

News, Announcements and Call for Papers. If you have any news and wish to publicize it please email or tweet us at @BIHG.

2025 British International History Group/International History Review article prize

The British International History Group is delighted to announce that the winner of the annual article prize, in collaboration with International History Review for 2025 is Dr Tia Culley. The title of her project is: 'Britain, the Commonwealth, and disabling NIEO demands (1975-1976)'.

2025 BIHG Michael Dockrill Memorial Thesis Prize

Dr Chloe Mayoux from the LSE. Her thesis title is: 'A place inthe world: negotiating nuclear power and independence in Africa (1957-63)'. Chloë completed her PhD at LSE in 2024, under the supervision of Professor Matthew Jones and with Professor Piers Ludlow as her advisor. Chloë is now based at Harvard where she has taken the role of the Ernest May Fellow in History & Policy, International Security Program.

BIHG thesis prize 2024

The BIHG is very pleased to announce that the winner of the Michael Dockrill Memorial Thesis Prize for 2024 has been awarded to Dr Johanne Marie Skov (Lancaster University) for: How to Land an Aircraft Deal: Western intra-Bloc Rivalry, Saudi Agency, and British Revival in the Cold War Middle East, 1979-1985. Dr Sjov was a student at the Lancaster University and her PhD research explored how Britain was able to compete with its Cold War allies, the United States and France, to win the Saudi Al Yamamah I arms deal of 1985, against all odds.