The Parkes Institute is the world's oldest and most wide-ranging centre for the study of Jewish/non-Jewish relations across the ages, from antiquity through to the present day.
The Parkes Institute carries out a wide range of activities devoted to the study of Jewish/non-Jewish Relations and Jewish history and culture, underpinned by the Parkes library and Jewish archive collections.
Our work includes extensive teaching at undergraduate level, an internationally successful postgraduate programme. Our outreach programme includes adult education and cultural days, school and college visits, public seminars, and lectures across London and the South East. Our regular research seminar and named lecture series are offered for free both online and in-person, attracting global audiences, and are regularly shared via our YouTube channel. Our research is also world-renowned and covers all ages, from antiquity to the modern day, and various approaches to Jewish history, Jewish culture, and Jewish/non-Jewish relations.
We have strong research partnerships across the world, including particularly in South Africa, Australia, and the United States. These have led to exchange visits as well as international conferences held in Southampton and with our partners abroad. The Parkes Institute's publications include three international journals: Patterns of Prejudice, Jewish Culture and History, and Holocaust Studies.
Our activities are outlined each year in our annual review.
For information about the lifework of Reverend Dr James Parkes
Full list of Our Staff involved in the Parkes Institute
Complete list of Patrons and Honorary Fellows of the Parkes Institute
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Scholars and students at the Parkes Institute are deeply indebted to the work of Rev. James Parkes. It is our task today to develop this heritage further, to make our library and archival collections accessible to students and researchers, to cultivate an academic community that contributes to the wide and varied world of Jewish Studies and still retains its own specific approach to Jewish/non-Jewish relations.