Dr. William Foster

Professor

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Biography

William Foster is a British historian educated in Switzerland, currently serving as College Professor and Director of Studies for History at Homerton College, University of Cambridge. He has been a Fellow at Homerton College since 2007 and previously held the position of Keasbey Fellow at Selwyn College, Cambridge. Foster served as Vice-Principal from 2013 to 2019 and now focuses his research on Cold War Europe and borderlands, specifically the Nordic Alpine regions. His work investigates the cultural and lived experiences related to significant historical processes such as nationalism, memory, superpower rivalry, and the threats of armed conflict. Foster's current projects include an exploration of armed neutrality in post-neutrality Europe, examining the diverse experiences of Finns, Swiss, Austrians, and Swedes in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. He supervises research students for MPhil and PhD in Modern European History, particularly encouraging inquiries from prospective postgraduate students interested in the modern contemporary Finland-Baltic borderlands and Switzerland-transnational Alpine Europe. He also contributes to the Historical Tripos Part II with an advanced topic on 'Connected Histories USSR/Russia'.

Research Interests

Experience

College Professor

2007-01-01 — Present

Homerton College, University of Cambridge • Cambridge, ENG

Currently serving as College Professor and Director of Studies for History.

Vice-Principal

2013-01-01 — 2019-01-01

Homerton College, University of Cambridge • Cambridge, ENG

Served as Vice-Principal (deputy Head of House).

Courses

Historical Tripos Part II, Advanced Topic: 'Connected Histories USSR/Russia'

Requirements for University of Cambridge

Master Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3.7
IELTS
Listening
Required:7
Reading
Required:7
Writing
Required:7
Speaking
Required:7
Overall
Required:7.5
TOEFL
Listening
Required:25
Reading
Required:25
Writing
Required:25
Speaking
Required:25
Total
Required:110
Prerequisites
UK Bachelor's Degree with good Upper Second Class Honours or international equivalent Background in international relations, politics, law, economics, security or history is a definite asset
Application Checklist
  • Two academic references
  • Official transcripts
  • CV/Resume
  • Personal statement (approx 500 words)
  • Research proposal (1-2 pages/500 words)
  • Application fee (£50)
Specialization Notes

Standard postgraduate requirements for Department of Politics and International Studies (POLIS) and related humanities departments.