Dr Ruth Craggs
Professor of Political and Historical Geography
Research interests
- Geography
Biography
Professor Ruth Craggs joined the Department of Geography as Lecturer in Human Geography in July 2013, following previous appointments at the University of Hull and St Mary's University College.
Ruth's work explores the historical geography of decolonisation. Her work demonstrates the important legacies of twentieth-century decolonisation on geopolitics, culture and knowledge across the UK and Africa and seeks to utilise historical analysis to influence contemporary politics and practice.
She currently leads the Geopolitics and Contested Development Research Group in the Department of Geography.
Research
- Postcolonial geopolitics and diplomacy
- Decolonisation and the ‘modern’ Commonwealth
- Histories of geography and decolonisation
- Modern architecture and urban planning
- Oral history methodologies
A key strand of Ruth's work examines the impact of decolonisation on the discipline of geography, seeking to utilise these insights to transform the subject today. A second key research area is geopolitics and diplomacy in the aftermath of decolonisation.
A recent example is a major project funded by a Leverhulme Research Grant (with Fiona McConnell and Jonathan Harris), which provides new understandings of postcolonial state-building by focusing on diplomatic training. This latest project built upon a career-spanning engagement with cultures of decolonisation and the Commonwealth as an arena for ambiguous postcolonial encounters.
Teaching
Undergraduate
- Geography Tutorials: Critical Thinking and Techniques
- Field Trip to York
- Fieldwork in Human Geography – field trip to Berlin
- Historical Geographies of Urbanism
- Geopolitics: Decolonial and radical approaches
PhD supervision
Ruth is interested in supervising postgraduate research at doctoral level and for MA/ MPhil degrees and pleased to discuss research topics and funding avenues with prospective students.
She is especially interested in the following areas (interpreted broadly):
- Geographies of empire and decolonisation
- Disciplinary histories
- Histories of development, architecture and urban planning
- Post-colonial geopolitics and diplomacy
- Race, migration and multiculturalism in Britain and Africa
Joint Supervisor:
- Iram Sammar
- Onur Kovaci
- Vanshika Pandey
Further details
Research
Contested Development research group
Exploring environmental, political and social questions in relation to contested and uneven processes of development.
Urban Futures research group
Examining urban futures through a conceptual, analytical and methodological lens that questions what cities are and how they work.
King's Contemporary British History
The study of Contemporary British History goes back to the 1960s, and was consolidated with the establishment of the Institute of Contemporary British History in 1985 by (Sir) Anthony Seldon and (Lord) Peter Hennessy. The Institute moved to King’s College London in 2010, and the new King’s Contemporary British History builds on this by creating a larger and more diverse enterprise, building on that distinguished tradition.
Training Diplomats of Postcolonial African States 1957-1997
Analysing the spatial dynamics of transnational diplomatic training to understand postcolonial state-building in Francophone and Anglophone Africa.
Project status: Ongoing
Empires and Decolonizations Research Hub
Aiming to bring together those at King’s interested in the history of empires, across all periods - ancient and modern.
Critical Global Capitalism Studies Collective
A collective bringing critical global capitalism research, teaching and activism at King's together under one umbrella to provide a forum for collaborations, events, and discussions, and to forge connections with the media, the policy world, and other like-minded groups.
News
Dr Ruth Craggs awarded Leverhulme Trust Research Grant for new research into diplomatic training
The study will examine diplomatic training as a function of postcolonial state-building in Africa, with a particular focus on Anglophone and Francophone Africa.
Geography launches its new MA in Geopolitics, Resources and Territory
The King’s Geography Department is proud to launch the new Geopolitics, Resources and Territory masters programme.
Geography graduate Naimah Quamie awarded 4th place in RACE dissertation competition
Kings Geography BA graduate, Naimah Quamie, wins joint fourth place in dissertation competition.
Research
Contested Development research group
Exploring environmental, political and social questions in relation to contested and uneven processes of development.
Urban Futures research group
Examining urban futures through a conceptual, analytical and methodological lens that questions what cities are and how they work.
King's Contemporary British History
The study of Contemporary British History goes back to the 1960s, and was consolidated with the establishment of the Institute of Contemporary British History in 1985 by (Sir) Anthony Seldon and (Lord) Peter Hennessy. The Institute moved to King’s College London in 2010, and the new King’s Contemporary British History builds on this by creating a larger and more diverse enterprise, building on that distinguished tradition.
Training Diplomats of Postcolonial African States 1957-1997
Analysing the spatial dynamics of transnational diplomatic training to understand postcolonial state-building in Francophone and Anglophone Africa.
Project status: Ongoing
Empires and Decolonizations Research Hub
Aiming to bring together those at King’s interested in the history of empires, across all periods - ancient and modern.
Critical Global Capitalism Studies Collective
A collective bringing critical global capitalism research, teaching and activism at King's together under one umbrella to provide a forum for collaborations, events, and discussions, and to forge connections with the media, the policy world, and other like-minded groups.
News
Dr Ruth Craggs awarded Leverhulme Trust Research Grant for new research into diplomatic training
The study will examine diplomatic training as a function of postcolonial state-building in Africa, with a particular focus on Anglophone and Francophone Africa.
Geography launches its new MA in Geopolitics, Resources and Territory
The King’s Geography Department is proud to launch the new Geopolitics, Resources and Territory masters programme.
Geography graduate Naimah Quamie awarded 4th place in RACE dissertation competition
Kings Geography BA graduate, Naimah Quamie, wins joint fourth place in dissertation competition.