The Round Table, the British Empire, and the Commonwealth 1910-2010

The Round Table: The Commonwealth Journal of International Affairs


in association with the Rhodes Trust



The Round Table, the British Empire, and the Commonwealth 1910-2010

A conference to mark the centenary of The Round Table; Rhodes House, Oxford, 2 July 2010


11.00 registration/coffee

11.15 welcome: Richard Bourne (Chairman, The Round Table)

11.30- 1.00 session 1: The Round Table ‘Movement’

Chair: John Darwin (Nuffield College, Oxford)

- ‘South Africa and the Making of Milner’s Kindergarten’ – Donal Lowry (Oxford Brookes University)

- ‘The Round Table: Making Politics Imperial’– Simon Potter (National University of Ireland, Galway)

1.00 lunch

2.00-3.30 session 2: The Round Table and Imperial Policy

Chair: Wm. Roger Louis (University of Texas at Austin)

- ‘The Round Table and the Dominions: Significance and Foresight’ –  Ged Martin (University of Edinburgh)

- ‘Reflections on the Round Table and India’– Chandrika Kaul (University of St Andrews)

- ‘International Political Pulpit: Lothian and the Interwar Round Table’ – Priscilla Roberts (University of Hong Kong)

3.30 tea

4.00-5.30 session 3: The Round Table and the Commonwealth

Chair: Richard Bourne (Chairman, The Round Table)

- ‘The Round Table and Decolonization’ – Alex May (Oxford Dictionary of National Biography)

- ‘The Round Table and the Modern Commonwealth’ – W. David McIntyre (University of Canterbury, NZ)


5.30-6.00 summing-up and ‘round table’ discussion

Chair: Keshini Navaratnam (Commonwealth Vision Awards)

Participants: John Darwin, Wm Roger Louis, Richard Bourne


6.00 drinks and book launch (‘The Commonwealth and International Affairs: The Round Table Centennial Selection’)



Registration essential. Cost £15 (includes lunch and refreshments). Free for full-time students and unwaged.

Contact Alex May at alex.may@oup.com or 01865-774362.