Barbara Keys

Professor Barbara Keys is a leading historian at Durham University, specializing in U.S. and international history. Her research spans human rights, diplomacy, and the Cold War in global perspective, with a focus on the interplay between emotions and international sport. She holds a PhD in History from Harvard University and previously taught at the University of Melbourne.

Her research highlights include:

• Projects on Henry Kissinger's legacy and anti-torture campaigns since 1945
• Contributions to understanding transnational human rights movements and technology's role in activism
• Analysis of emotional dynamics in diplomacy and political symbolism in sports

Her publications reflect these themes, with recent work on topics such as China human rights, 1980s communication technology, and Cold War Olympic politics.

Professor Keys has received prestigious accolades, including the 2010 Stuart Bernath Lecture Prize and the 2015 Woodward Medal. She served as President of the Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations (SHAFR) in 2019, underscoring her influence in the field.

She actively mentors postgraduate students in human rights history, 20th-century diplomacy, and international sports studies, contributing to the next generation of scholars in these areas.