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Engineering Empires: Technology, Environment, and Power in the Age of Colonialism
Last Updated: 2026-06-03 00:14:27
Abstract
This course explores how technologies and infrastructures shaped and sustained colonial rule between the early 19th and mid-20th centuries. Through case studies, students examine global circulations of knowledge, careers of engineers, ecological consequences, and how some technologies were appropriated to challenge imperial control.
Objective
• Analyse the entanglements between colonialism, engineering, and technology using global history and STS. • Evaluate the political, social, and ecological impacts of colonial infrastructures and innovations. • Locate and consult historical sources in both digital and analogue archives
Content
Focusing on engineering as a professional field and as a means of imperial rule, this seminar asks how technological innovations and infrastructures such as railways, bridges, canals, irrigation systems, ships, and telegraphs, shaped and sustained colonial rule. Through thematic case studies, students will investigate the global circulation of technical knowledge, the (trans-)imperial careers of individual actors, and the ecological consequences of technological interventions. In addition, the course highlights moments when technologies were appropriated by local actors in ways that ran counter to the intentions of those in power and, at times, explicitly aimed at undermining colonial rule. In addition, the course provides training in historical source research, encompassing both digital discovery through online repositories and traditional consultation of materials in analogue archival settings.
General Information
- Language
- English
- Levels
- MSC
Examination
- Type
- graded semester performance
Registration & Places
Course Components
| Type | Title | Time & Place | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| seminar | Engineering Empires: Technology, Environment, and Power in the Age of Colonialism |
|
2 h weekly |