Themes

Research at IASH is intended to be as open as possible. Nonetheless, we encourage certain specialisations, ranging from medical humanities to gender and decoloniality. Find out more about the themes our work covers.

A collage of three pictures from the Institute Project on Decoloniality. The first shows an abstract figure in a black cape wearing a white hat. The second shows a woman sitting on a throne. She is holding a chicken and egg in one hand and a stick in the other. The third image shows an abstract painting of various shapes and colors.

Race and Decoloniality

Race and Decoloniality (26)IASH proudly hosted 'The Institute Project on Decoloniality 2021-2024 (IPD '24), a three-year project examining a variety of topics centred on decoloniality, which came to an end in 2024.

blue, purple, and orange tapestry hanging behind a statue, commemorates the ‘Edinburgh Seven’, the first women to matriculate at any British university

Medical Humanities

Medical Humanities and Health Humanities is a broad field, encompassing areas as diverse as the history of medicine, medical ethics and law, pedagogy in physician training, and medical anthropology. In addition, doctor-writers from John Keats to Anton Chekhov, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Nawal el Saadawi have written about the great dramas of human life and existence, while artists such as Yayoi Kusama, Louise Bourgeois and Frida Kahlo have used lived experience of physical and mental health issues to inform their art.

a green, hilly landscape with trees and heather.

Environmental Humanities

The Edinburgh Environmental Humanities Network is an exciting initiative in the study of environmental issues. The network presents researchers within the humanities with a forum in which to engage with each other’s work, to share insights, and develop collaborative partnerships. IASH's Environmental Humanities Fellows contribute to the Network in a variety of ways.

The logo of GENDER.ED, consisting of a black banner reading "genderED" in front of an abstract, dark red design

Gender in Edinburgh

IASH works closely with GENDER.ED, a cross-University hub for gender and sexualities studies from an interdisciplinary perspective. GENDER.ED showcases and promotes teaching, research, knowledge exchange and impact (KEl) in gender and sexualities studies at the University of Edinburgh and beyond.

Globe on a blue background with lights emerging which are connected through lines, like a "network" structure.

Digital Humanities

Digital Humanities and Digital Scholarship represent a rapidly growing focus of research and public engagement within IASH. Digital scholarship is not a new thing within the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, but its development is being hastened by continuing developments in processing power, software and the ubiquity of computers. The digital humanities can be thought of as being made up of two types of activity, even if these are not fully distinct in practice.

 

Any questions?

Please contact iash@ed.ac.uk

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