THE RATIU FORUM TEACHING OF HISTORY PROGRAMME

RESOURCE HUB

This is a dedicated digital space for the exchange of knowledge, ideas, and teaching materials developed through the Teaching of Difficult Histories Programme’s events and network. Bringing together lectures, discussions, articles, and multimedia resources, this platform supports the critical teaching of history in Romania and the region.

We are committed to fostering an engaged community of educators, scholars, students, and alumni centred on meaningful educational dialogue and the collaborative exchange of quality resources. This Hub reflects that commitment to equip history educators and students with the skills and perspectives needed to critically engage with contested national narratives and to promote civic competences through inclusive, reflective history teaching. It offers a curated and dynamic repository designed to facilitate ease of access and integration into teaching and research activities.

From November 2025 onwards, the Hub will host a series of bimonthly online discussions on pressing contemporary issues, providing opportunities for alumni, educators, and researchers in the field of history to engage in substantive dialogue, present work in progress, and explore effective approaches to teaching and learning.

We welcome contributions from participants to the Teaching of Difficult Histories workshop series and partner institutions. If you wish to share original teaching tools, reflections, case studies, or multimedia resources aligned with the programme’s mission to challenge uncritical thinking about the past, we encourage you to get in touch.

Online Talks

The programme will host a series of online discussions bringing together alumni, educators, and researchers to exchange ideas on pressing issues in the region on topics related to the rise of nationalism, memory, and the importance of relevant teaching tools as best practices. These sessions offer a space for:

  • Open discussion on contemporary challenges in history
  • Presentation of work in progress and emerging research
  • Peer exchange on effective teaching practices and pedagogical innovation
  • Collaborative exploration of how historical understanding informs present-day concerns

All alumni and practitioners who wish to engage in a more critical and complex way with difficult aspects of history and to develop their didactic skills are welcome to participate.

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John Lotherington & John Florescu

A Discussion on Teaching  Difficult Histories

This live conversation explores history and 
the media environment, and will include interactive 
Q&A and breakout rooms, encouraging direct interactions and reflection among participants.

Article

Romania’s Dark History
Offers Lessons About
Far Right’s Global Rise

Historian Raul Cârstocea explains the historical and political background behind the rise of right-wing movements and the reasons for their growing  public support in Romania and elsewhere.

Article

Learning Styles in Higher Education. A Case Study in History Training

The article by Căpiță Carol examines the learning styles of first-year History students and their implications for curriculum design in higher education.

Article

Problems of Identities in the Balkans

A collections of essays edited by Slobodan G. Markovich, Eric Beckett Weaver and Vukasin Pavlovic.

Article

The Democratisation of History

 An article by Raul Cârstocea which explores how a more inclusive and democratic approach to history education can promote critical thinking, pluralism and democratic citizenship.

Resources

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Audio

Teaching Difficult Histories

A curated collection of in-depth conversations exploring the pedagogical challenges of teaching contested histories. These workshop podcasts include scholars, educators, and practitioners engaging in substantive dialogue on methodologies, dilemmas, and effective practices in history education.

Video

Keynote Presentations

A selection of keynote presentations and panels recorded during our workshops, addressing teaching of history in Romania and the region. These sessions feature leading scholars and practitioners reflecting on contemporary challenges in history teaching, best practices and methodologies.

Written materials

Teaching Difficult Histories

A selected collection of presentations created by workshop speakers for scholars, educators, and practitioners participating in the series of Teaching Difficult Histories workshops.

Photos

History Events

An archive of event related photographs and 
a collection of moments from our recent workshops.
 

Community

A regular newsletter will connect readers with new resources, highlight recent publications, and announce upcoming events.
Join our community of educators and scholars committed to advancing rigorous, independent historical inquiry.

Contributions

The Teaching of Difficult Histories Resource Hub is a living platform. We welcome contributions from alumni, educators, and partner institutions, including:

  • Teaching presentations and classroom tools
  • Articles and reflective essays
  • Case studies and examples of best practice
  • Multimedia resources and innovative learning materials

For submission guidelines or to discuss a potential contribution, please contact us.

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