Rebecca Jinks

Dr. Rebecca Jinks is a Senior Lecturer in Modern History at Royal Holloway, University of London, specializing in comparative genocide and humanitarianism. Affiliated with the Department of History and the Conflict, Violence and Terrorism Research Centre, she teaches courses on genocide, humanitarianism, and 20th-century history. Her work contributes to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to reduced inequalities (SDG 10) and peace, justice and strong institutions (SDG 16).

• Education: PhD in Modern History from Royal Holloway, University of London (2013).

Her research focuses on social and cultural approaches to genocide, particularly the Armenian genocide (1915) and Yezidi genocide by ISIS (2014), with an emphasis on ordinary people's experiences, gendered histories, and the use of photographs and non-traditional sources. Current projects include Genocidal Captivity: (Re)Telling the Stories of Armenian and Yezidi Women Survivors (AHRC-funded 2022-2024), which examines post-captivity reintegration through oral histories and archival research, and 'Under Fire': Operation Florian's Volunteer Humanitarians (British Academy-funded 2019-2020), exploring British firefighters' humanitarian missions in former Yugoslavia.

Collaborations include: co-editing a source reader on genocide with Dan Stone, developing an exhibition at The Wiener Holocaust Library, and working with the Free Yezidi Foundation and Armenian Institute. Her work challenges dominant humanitarian frameworks and advocates for nuanced representations of violence survivors.

• Scientific Awards
  • Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Fellowship: £201,950 for 'Genocidal captivity' research (2022-2024).
  • British Academy grant for 'Under Fire' oral history project (2019-2020).
• Notable Publications
  • Representing Genocide: The Holocaust as Paradigm? (Bloomsbury, 2016).
  • '“Marks Hard to Erase”' article (2018) in The American Historical Review.
• Research Impact
  • Policy briefings for NGOs on post-genocide recovery.
  • Academic workshops on writing violence.
  • Exhibition development at The Wiener Holocaust Library (Feb-May 2024).