For many, there are grandfathers or great-grandfathers who share stories of being shipped to foreign soils in the name of protecting freedom for all. Whether the experience served as a rewarding or devastating experience, the events witnessed are some that have lived on for 100 years and can be expected to live on for hundreds more.

In commemoration of the centennial  anniversary of World War I, Wilkes University’s Department of Global History and Language will host their first event through the recently developed  Contemporary History Project.

On Feb. 23, The Contemporary History Project will be hosting a lecture and follow-up discussion with Jesse Tumblin. Tumblin is a member of the Smith Richardson Pre-Doctoral fellowship for International Security Studies at Yale University.

The Contemporary History Project is housed under Wilkes University’s Division of Global History and Languages.

“My hope is to develop a self-sustainable program that people will be interested in attending,” said Dr. Jonathan R. Kuiken, assistant professor of history.

The Contemporary History Project’s purpose is to engage Wilkes students, along with the surrounding community, in the process of understanding the historical roots of contemporary issues.

The lecture and discussion is entitled “World War I at 100: Reflecting on the War that Ended Peace”.

Kuiken believes that students can gain from this lecture and similar lectures in the future.

“Students of all backgrounds could benefit from this project,” Kuiken said. “It will help everyone gain a better understanding and connection to an economic root of the current world, making them better equipped once they move onto the next chapters of their lives.”

Tumblin, currently a doctoral candidate in the history department at Boston College, is researching the way security politics drove ideas about sovereignty, constitutionalism and political change across the British Empire in the early twentieth century.

This research has allowed him the opportunity to conduct research in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

The event will take place on Feb. 23, from 4  to 5:30 P.M. in The Miller Room located on the second floor of the Henry Student Center. It is free to attend this lecture and discussion and will be open to the public.

For further information, you can contact Dr. Jonathan Kuiken via e-mail at [email protected].