معرفی
Patrick van der Geest is a researcher at Lund University's Department of History, affiliated with the National Graduate School of Historical Studies since 2020. His work focuses on global economic networks, European colonialism, and empire-building, particularly the role of family firms like Hope & Co. in reshaping trade and finance during the long eighteenth century.
His research examines how family firms integrated European and colonial trade and credit systems (1740–1830), transforming colonial systems into rigid imperial structures through bookkeeping and business strategies. He also investigates topics such as the Great Divergence, industrial capitalism, and the roles of "middle agents" (merchants, financiers) in global economic integration.
Patrick teaches history courses at Lund University, including first-year courses on prehistory to the Springtime of Nations and third-year global history courses. He co-organizes a monthly reading group for the Network for Early Modern History and has served as a book reviews editor for the International Journal of Maritime History. His research intersects with UN Sustainable Development Goals related to economic history and colonial legacies.
In 2022, he began the PhD project "At the Levers of Empire: Hope & Co. and the Reconfiguration of European and Colonial Trade and Finance, ca 1740–1830" (supervised by E. Geevers and L. Müller), which will run until 2027. His work connects early modern and modern history, addressing challenges across historical divides.
