Back to School: Student Life in the Aftermath of the Great War

Hear from Daniel Laqua and Georgina Brewis as they explore the overlooked experience of education and student life in the aftermath of the First World War.

After the First World War (1914-18), daily life for people in Britain was radically transformed. British universities received an influx of students who had undertaken wartime service. The members of this socially and gender diverse cohort were unique in fostering dialogues of reconciliation and cooperation, and revitalising student societies and sports teams.

In this fascinating talk, Georgina Brewis and Daniel Laqua shed light on the ways in which university life and student activism were shaped after the First World War, and the impact of educational reform.

About the speakers

Georgina Brewis

Georgina Brewis is a Professor of Social History at the Institute of Education at UCL. She is a social historian of higher education, voluntary action and humanitarianism in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Daniel Laqua

Daniel Laqua is a historian of modern and contemporary Europe and is an Associate Professor at Northumbria University. His research concerns the movements and organisations whose activities transcended national boundaries, such as socialists, anarchists, pacifists, humanitarians, student activists and anti-racist campaigners.