The Pierre du Bois Chair “Europe and the World” was established in 2018 by the Geneva Graduate Institute in partnership with the Pierre du Bois Foundation. Alongside its teaching and research, the Chair contributes to public debate through a series of public lectures on Europe’s place in the world and on how its global role has, in turn, shaped European history.
The 2026–2027 series is convened by Professor Stella Ghervas, current holder of the Chair. It brings leading historians to Geneva to reflect on how Europe has been imagined, organised and connected to the wider world, from empires and federations to the history of ideas and international order.
All lectures take place at the Maison de la paix in Geneva. They are open to the public, free of charge, and also available online. Registration is via the Geneva Graduate Institute website.
Programme
Tuesday, 29 September 2026 – Inaugural Lecture
Europe’s Histories: The View from Geneva
Professor Stella Ghervas, Geneva Graduate Institute / UCLA
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Tuesday, 20 October 2026 | 18:30–20:00
From Empire to Federation: Can the European Union Become the Paradigm for a New World Order?
Professor Anthony Pagden, University of California, Los Angeles
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Wednesday, 9 December 2026 | 18:30–20:00
[Title to be announced]
Professor David Armitage, Lloyd C. Blankfein Professor of History, Harvard University
More information will follow shortly.