About
Dr. Laura Channing serves as Assistant Professor in Economic History within the Department of History at Durham University, concurrently holding roles as Department Representative and Fellow of the Durham Research Methods Centre.
Her academic foundation includes a History degree from King's College London, followed by an MPhil in Economic and Social History (2017) and PhD in History (2021) from the University of Cambridge. Distinguished appointments include the Jane Eliza Procter Fellowship at Princeton University (2019-2020), Economic History Society Anniversary Fellowship at the Institute of Historical Research, and Visiting Fellowship at LSE's Department of Economic History.
Channing's research pioneers interdisciplinary analysis of West African economic development from the 19th-20th centuries, specializing in colonial taxation systems, labor dynamics, and living standards. Her methodological innovation integrates qualitative archives with newly digitized quantitative sources from British and African repositories, currently culminating in a monograph on taxation-representation relationships in West African colonies. Recent publications reveal consistent focus on fiscal governance within composite colonial states and African agency in humanitarian frameworks.
- Jane Eliza Procter Fellow at Princeton University
- Economic History Society Anniversary Fellow at the Institute of Historical Research
Her teaching expertise in African and Economic History, demonstrated during LSE appointments, complements active contributions to the Durham Research Methods Centre's interdisciplinary initiatives in historical methodology and data analysis.
