Parkes MA graduate wins RHS Award for his dissertation

The Parkes Institute is today pleased to announce that one of its graduates, Rob Thompson, has won an award for his dissertation, "'The true physicians here are the padres': British Christian Army Chaplains and the Liberation of Bergen-Belsen."

Rob, who graduated with an MA in Jewish History and Culture, was announced proxime accesit ("runner-up") for his work in the Royal Historical Society's 2020 Rees Davies Prize competition, announced last Wednesday.

Both Rob and his supervisor, the Institute's Professor Tony Kushner, were originally told about the award on 10th July, but can only now share this after the Society made its official announcement.

Rob was "absolutely delighted" at his success, and thanked staff at the Parkes Institute for their support: "I’m incredibly grateful for the wonderful supervision and support I received from Tony Kushner and others throughout my time there."

The RHS judges were very impressed with Rob's work, and cited that it was "sensitively conducted and skilfully realised, recognising different categories of agency and offering a humane assessment of the experience of these horrific events and their aftermath."

Another academic at Southampton's School of Humanities, Examination Officer in History Professor Peter Clarke, added that he was "delighted" by the RHS' decision, and for our student. He added: "Well done, Rob!"