Gwyn Campbell

This postdoctoral appointment is hosted by the Indian Ocean World Centre in the Department of History & Classical Studies at McGill University . The project examines the history of the Indian Ocean World, a vast macro-region stretching from East Asia to Eastern Africa, from around 1800 to the present, with a focus on how major environmental events shaped societies and politics. The research agenda centres on one of two themes: the impact of sulphur-rich volcanic eruptions or cyclones . The successful candidate will develop and lead an independent research programme exploring the socio-economic and political consequences of these events across the Indian Ocean World. The advert highlights interest in the experiences of Indigenous peoples and communities, especially through perspectives on gender, age, ethnicity, and wealth disparity. Possible research areas include agricultural production, trade, health, disease and medicine, demography, migration, religious beliefs, and revolt or political change. The role is embedded in a collaborative research environment with faculty and other researchers at the IOWC, alongside engagement with seminars, reading groups, workshops, and related grant-funded work. The post also includes scholarly and knowledge-mobilisation activities: preparing publications, presenting findings, contributing to the Journal of Indian Ocean World Studies , and supporting outreach to academic, policy, and public audiences. The position is supervised by Professor Gwyn Campbell .