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Chris Reynolds

Chris Reynolds

Professor

School of Arts & Humanities

Staff Group(s)
History, Heritage and Global Cultures

Role

Chris Reynolds is Professor of Contemporary European History and Memory Studies. His research spans a range of areas and projects with a particular focus in Oral History and Memory Studies.

The early years of his research focussed on France with a specific expertise on the events of May-June 1968 and the relationship between France and the European Union. In more recent years, Chris, has expanded his research interests with the development of a range of projects around his methodological and theoretical interests. This has included a significant collaborative project with National Museums NI entitled Voices of ’68 that was the focus of a successful REF 2021 Impact Case Study. Chris continues to develop the collaborative relationship that aims to address the pressing “legacy” issue as part of the Northern Ireland Peace Process.

Chris’ research expertise has been central the development and delivery of his undergraduate and postgraduate teaching portfolio. He currently teaches on modules such as: HIST10123 – Europe since 1789: Revolution to Referendum; HIST30523 - Memories and Legacies of Conflict; HIST20623 – The Global Struggle for Civil Rights; and HIST40210 – Making History.

Chris has also helped supervise a number of PhD candidates to completion across a diverse range of topics. His is currently involved in supervising several PhD projects and is keen to hear from further potential candidates exploring the themes highlighted above. He is particularly keen to hear from prospective students interested in Oral History, Memory Studies, Northern Ireland, France, Post-conflict studies, and Museum Studies.

Career overview

Before joining NTU in 2007, Chris completed two years of a temporary lectureship in French at the University of Bath where he taught a very wide range of modules from final year translation to international marketing from a French perspective.

In his time at NTU, Chris has taught and researched across a wide range of disciplines and topics. He was a member of the Modern Languages team before integrating the History department in 2020. During his time at NTU he has undertaken a number of roles including year-abroad coordinator for French, French subject leader, and impact case study lead.

Research areas

Chris’ research portfolio has developed and expanded throughout his career and has seen him involved in a leading a braod range of diverse projects.

Emerging from his PhD research, his initial focus was the memory of the French events of 1968. He established a strong reputation as a leading scholar in this field with a multitude of publications and conference papers including his 2011 monograph Memories of May '68: France’s Convenient Consensus. Chris then broadened the optic of this research to consider the transnationalism of 1968 that saw him integrate the Oxford University-based project Around 1968 led by Professor Robert Gildea. This project resulted in a wide range of significant publications and outputs and provided the impetus for Chris’s exploration of Northern Ireland’s 1968 that subsequently led to the publication of his second monograph in 2014 entitled Sous les pavés, the Troubles. Northern Ireland, France, and the European collective Memory of 1968. This study provided the launchpad for Chris’ ongoing collaborative relationship with National Museums NI that saw his research directly inform the presentation of Northern Ireland’s 1968 in Belfast’s Ulster Museum via the multifaceted Voices of ’68 project. This project generated a wide range of exhibitions and outputs (including GCSE educational resources) that would form the basis of his successful REF 2012 Impact Case Study. Chris continues to work with National Museums NI on a range of projects aimed at developing innovative approaches to conforming the “legacy” challenge that is so critical to the Northern Irish Peace Process.

In addition to his partnership with National Museums NI, Chris has sought to build on his work in the fields of Memory Studies and Oral History. To that end, he co-founded (alongside Dr Verusca Calabria) the NTU Oral History Network in 2020 that has a popular, monthly, online seminar series and leads on a range of collaborative ventures that has included the hosting of the 2023 British Oral History Annual Conference at NTU. Chris also co-leads a further university-wide initiative aimed at bringing together NTU colleagues working in the field of Memory Studies. AIMS (Advancing Interdisciplinary Memory Studies) @ NTU has organised and continues to organise a range of events and projects building on the work of the NTU-led COST Action on Slow Memory with colleague Jenny Wüstenberg as its chair.

Chris has also recently been awarded external funding to develop a local history study programme in partnership with a number of primary schools and Rushcliffe Borough Council centred on the redevelopment of a disused World War 2 air-raid shelter.

External activity

  • Member of 3-person, NTU-based editorial team of Modern and Contemporary France (2010-21)
  • Academic Advisor, Ulster Museum, National Museums NI
  • Leadership role in Memory Studies Association Research Centres initiative.
  • Peer reviewer for range of national/international journals and publishers.
  • Multiple external examiner roles in Modern Languages

Sponsors and collaborators

Chris sits on the management committee of the 4-year COST Action (CA20105) on the concept of ‘Slow Memory’ (project value €675,500). This project, chaired by Jenny Wüstenberg, includes the participation of a range of NTU colleagues and sees Chris play a key role in Working Group 4 on ‘Transformations of Conflict’ In addition, he is overseeing the development and delivery of one of the core deliverables of the Action (education resources) and is organising a team meeting in Belfast in September 2024. He is also involved in the wide range of diverse outputs and activities of this action.

Chris has recently been awarded £40,000 of UKSPF funding to support the development and delivery of his air-raid shelter project that will see the redevelopment of a disused air-raid shelter, a visit to which will be the centrepiece of a bespoke study day and programme for local primary schools.

Chris has received substantial NTU funding and support for the early stages of the next chapter in his collaboration with national Museums NI. This new venture will build on the work and success of the Voices of ’68 project, deploying a similar approach but focussed this time on the pivotal moment that was the 1974 Ulster Worker’s Council Strike. Voices of ’74 has been earmarked as a potential Impact Case Study for the next REF.

Publications

Selected publications

Peer reviewed books:

Edited book:

Recent peer-reviewed articles:

Recent book chapters

For full list please click 'Go to Chris Reynolds publications' link above.

See all of Chris Reynolds's publications...

Press expertise

Professor Reynolds can offer comment on the Northern Irish Troubles and their legacy; Contemporary French Politics and Society; France and Europe; 1968 from a French, Northern Irish and transnational perspective; protest movements; Memory Studies; Museum Studies; and Oral History.

Course(s) I teach on

  • People working on global problem around desk

    COURSE

    History - BA (Hons)

    Undergraduate | Full-time / Part-time (day)

    https://www.ntu.ac.uk/course/arts-and-humanities/ug/ba-hons-history