A new two-quarter history course called the Sanders Seminar will launch this fall in the department of history, according to a University news release.

The application-based seminar, titled “The Historian’s Craft”, will explore universal questions historians have, rather than focusing on specific regions or topics. Robin Bates, the inaugural Ian Sanders Chair of History, will teach the course.

“Robin is an ideal selection as the first Ian Sanders Chair of History,” history Prof. Daniel Immerwahr said in the release. “He is a magical teacher who brings intellectual breadth to the position.”

Students interested in taking the course must have already taken at least one history class at NU. Applications are due April 7, according to history Prof. Deborah Cohen, who is currently chair of the history department.

The class will feature conversations about history’s greatest debates, include visits from leading scholars in the field and allow students to work on original research projects. Ian Sanders (Weinberg ’91), who established the eponymous position and the new program, said history seminars were among his most memorable experiences as a student at NU.

“The ability to consume and parse high volumes of information, figure out what’s important, analyze it, and develop clear, convincing and effective written arguments — these are skills that translate to all disciplines,” Sanders said in the release. “My goal is for students to exit this program as dynamic critical thinkers and fantastic writers, and with an enduring intellectual self-confidence.”

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Twitter: @SQPowers04

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