Dr Rachel Pistol, Director of the UK Holocaust Research Infrastructure (EHRI-UK) and a member of the Department of History and the Parkes Institute, has been sharing Southampton’s Holocaust research expertise with international audiences through a range of recent speaking engagements, partnerships and media appearances.

Rachel has been working closely with colleagues at the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) as it expands its International Placement Scheme into Africa. Earlier this month, she was invited to speak at an onboarding event for two new host institutions joining the scheme: the Johannesburg Holocaust & Genocide Centre in South Africa and the British Institute in Eastern Africa in Kenya.

The expansion will offer UK researchers new opportunities to work with internationally significant collections, archives and research networks across Sub-Saharan Africa. Rachel spoke about the work of the European Holocaust Research Infrastructure and its work in the UK, focusing on the highly successful EHRI-UK Regional Placement Scheme.

Rachel has also taken her expertise to a wider audience through a recent appearance on the BBC World Service’s History Hour, where she discussed the many different forms of resistance from across Europe during the Second World War.

Most recently, Rachel delivered the keynote address at a three-day EHRI seminar in St Pölten, Austria, bringing together researchers from across Europe. The event explored how digital technologies and new research methods can help historians develop fresh transnational perspectives on the Holocaust while maintaining historical accuracy and ensuring the dignity of those whose experiences are being studied.

Rachel said, “It is great to have the opportunity to connect with individuals and organisations who are working at the cutting edge of digital humanities and Holocaust Studies, as well as to make new connections beyond Europe and continue to work closely with the AHRC.”

Listen to Rachel’s appearance on BBC History Hour: BBC History Hour episode