Patricia Clavin and Patrick Salmon discuss history, archives, and policymaking - an OPEN Conversation event

On February 25th 2025, the University of Oxford's Policy Engagement Network (OPEN) hosted an OPEN Conversation between Professor Patrick Salmon, the Chief Historian at the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office, and Professor Patricia Clavin, Professor of Modern History at the University of Oxford and Co-Director of the Changing Global Orders Programme.

Professor Martin Conway, Professor of Contemporary European History at the University of Oxford and Chair of the Faculty Board in History, facilitated the discussion.

This fascinating and often practical discussion included key points such as:

• History is already in play – Policymakers often use history, particularly analogies, to understand present policies. For instance, in foreign policy, it is often asked if an event is another Suez Crisis, or another Munich Agreement. Yet, such parallels betray the complexities of events, which always have their own unique circumstances. Historians sometimes have a role to play to highlight how the past is not comparable, and certainly should encourage policymakers to think in a rigorous, systematic way about history.
• The skills historians have matter – It was suggested that policymakers make better decisions when they know history. An understanding of individual countries and how they relate to the world is a useful training for those in the policy world. The ability to craft a narrative to make sense of events is another vital skill that historians can bring.

• Routes into policy impact – There was also a useful discussion of how historians can get involved in policy engagement. and several practical pointers were given, including ‘History & Policy’, the British Academy's Innovation Fellowships, and the importance of a good 'elevator pitch' which summarises how one's research matters for policy.

Top: Thomas Kelsey (l) Patrick Salmon (r) Bottom: Martin Conway (l) Patricia Clavin (r)