The Ford Foundation has awarded the American Historical Association, in partnership with the Community College Humanities Association and the Library of Congress, a grant to conduct a four-week summer research seminar for community college faculty. The seminar theme, "Explorations in Empire," will place imperialism and colonialism in a global historical context.

Seminar participants will engage in curriculum development and original academic research on topics related to imperialism and colonialism. The seminar will draw on recent scholarship and benefit from the guidance of seven major scholars: David O. Morgan on premodern imperialism, Ann Stoler on modern imperialism and colonialism, AHA president William Roger Louis on the scramble for Africa as a case study in modern imperialism, Dane Kennedy on the British Empire, Stephen Tanaka on Japanese imperialism, Margaret Strobel on connections between gender and colonialism, and Prasenjit Duara on postcolonial perspectives.

Participants will be expected to incorporate what they have learned into their course curricula, to publish their work, and to participate in widespread dissemination activities. The seminar will take place between July 9 and August 3, 2001, in Washington, D.C.

The Ford Foundation had earlier extended its support for a similar seminar for community college teachers that was held in the summer of 1999, on the theme "Globalizing Regional Studies." More than 25 teachers from community colleges around the country pursued their own research projects and also interacted with 7 senior scholars for three weeks to discuss the latest research on cross-national interaction.