No single vantage point can tell us the whole history of Europe. So, what does it look like, seen from Geneva? Drawing on her intellectual journey from the East to the West of the continent, Stella Ghervas uses Geneva and its role as the international “Peace City” to explore the ever-changing ways in which Europe has been imagined, framed, and reshaped over time—and how those perspectives can illuminate our present understanding of its place in the world.
Stella Ghervas is a historian of Europe whose research focuses on intellectual and international history, with particular attention to peace and peace-making, ideas in politics, diplomacy, and international (dis)order. Her work explores Europe’s engagement with the wider world, Russia and Eurasia, including maritime and oceanic history, and transnational political communities formed within and beyond empires.
Other Pierre du Bois Public Lectures 2026-2027
- 20 October, 18:30-20:00
Anthony Pagden, Distinguished Professor of Political Science and History (UCLA)
“From Empire to Federation: Can the European Union become the paradigm for a new world order?” - 9 December, 18:30-20:00
David Armitage, Lloyd C. Blankfein Professor of History (Harvard)
“Treacherous Contracts: Treaties and the History of Western Opera, 1648-1976”