Professor Francisco Bethencourt, Charles Boxer Professor of History at King's College London, will give a public lecture in Lancaster on Tuesday 20 October 2026 as part of the Lancaster University Public Lecture Series.

The lecture, Early Modern Europe and the World, looks at how the ideas of "Europe" and, later, "the West" were constructed: when they emerged, and what political, cultural and intellectual purposes they served. Professor Bethencourt will trace the far-reaching impact of European expansion on societies across the globe. He will also show how Europe itself was transformed by continuous exchanges of people, goods, ideas and cultures. How did social divisions emerge, and how has global history dealt with the main divisions of humankind? Professor Bethencourt will address these questions and more in what promises to be a fascinating evening.

Professor Bethencourt is one of the leading historians of the Portuguese-speaking world and a major voice in global history, internationally recognized for his work on Portuguese and European expansion. He has held the Charles Boxer Chair at King's College London since 2005. He previously taught at NOVA University Lisbon and has been a visiting professor at Brown University (USA) and the Universidade de São Paulo (Brazil). Alongside his academic career, he served as Director of the National Library of Portugal (1996–1998) and of the Calouste Gulbenkian Cultural Centre in Paris (1999–2004). His books include Racisms: From the Crusades to the Twentieth Century and Strangers Within: The Rise and Fall of the New Christian Myth (both Princeton University Press). He currently leads the ERC-funded project New Christian Materiality, 1450–1750 (MATERIA).

Professor Bethencourt was nominated for the series by Professor Céu Mateus (Health Research) and Professor Patrick Rebuschat (Linguistics and English Language).

Professor Rebuschat, Director of the Camões Institute Chair for Multilingualism and Diversity at Lancaster, said: "Céu Mateus and I are thrilled to welcome Francisco to Lancaster. He is one of the most influential historians of our time. His work shows that Europe's history has never been Europe's alone: it was forged through centuries of encounters with Africa, Asia and the Americas. These questions still shape how we see ourselves and others today, and there is no better guide to them."

Event details

• Date: Tuesday 20 October 2026
• Time: Doors open 6:00 pm; lecture 6:30 to 8:00 pm
• Venue: The Dukes, Moor Lane, Lancaster LA1 1QE
• Admission: Free, registration required

Places are limited and the event is expected to sell out. Book your place now.