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Episode #13: Government Secrets, Existential Risk, and Higher Education, with Matthew Connelly
This week’s guest is Matthew Connelly, professor of international and global history at Columbia University. This interview was especially fun for me because it was Matt who, back at the University of Michigan in the 1990s, turned me into a historian. My whole way of doing things has been indelibly shaped by him.
Matt is of course better known as a great and prolific scholar. His publications include a first monograph on the Algerian War for Independence, his highly-influential book on the history of international population control, and his terrific, recent work on the U.S. government’s obsession with secrecy:
We talk about Matt’s job at the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk, his most recent book, his career trajectory, and much more. We also reminisce and laugh a lot. It’s a great conversation.
As always the podcast is available through Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Pocketcasts, and the Substack app.
Episode Outline
0:00-4:53: Introduction.
4:53-11:36: Center for the Study of Existential Risk, global catastrophic events, nuclear war, studying topics shrouded in secrecy, AI.
11:36-24:43: Using technology to do history, Filemaker, realizing how important being organized is, the influence of Matt’s dad.
24:43-37:23: Teen dreams of being a lawyer and then having a career in policymaking, Matt’s Alex P. Keaton phase, Columbia University as an undergraduate, Cambridge University and discovering a love of history, being mentored and encouraged to continue studying history by Brendan Bradshaw.
37:23-47:59: After college, realizing he didn’t want to have a normal boss, moving on to Yale for graduate school, Paul Kennedy, Gaddis Smith, the Algerian War, A Diplomatic Revolution, learning to write, mentoring students.
47:59-1:00:07: First job at the University of Michigan, jargon and the cutting edge, Geoff Eley, Bob Axelrod, popular versus academic history.
1:00:07-1:07:16: Reflecting on the move from Michigan to Columbia and mentoring students.
1:00:07-1:10:46: Thoughts on our current moment and the importance of history and the university.
1:10:46-end: Outro.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit isaaccampos.substack.com
View all episodes
By Isaac CamposThis week’s guest is Matthew Connelly, professor of international and global history at Columbia University. This interview was especially fun for me because it was Matt who, back at the University of Michigan in the 1990s, turned me into a historian. My whole way of doing things has been indelibly shaped by him.
Matt is of course better known as a great and prolific scholar. His publications include a first monograph on the Algerian War for Independence, his highly-influential book on the history of international population control, and his terrific, recent work on the U.S. government’s obsession with secrecy:
We talk about Matt’s job at the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk, his most recent book, his career trajectory, and much more. We also reminisce and laugh a lot. It’s a great conversation.
As always the podcast is available through Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Pocketcasts, and the Substack app.
Episode Outline
0:00-4:53: Introduction.
4:53-11:36: Center for the Study of Existential Risk, global catastrophic events, nuclear war, studying topics shrouded in secrecy, AI.
11:36-24:43: Using technology to do history, Filemaker, realizing how important being organized is, the influence of Matt’s dad.
24:43-37:23: Teen dreams of being a lawyer and then having a career in policymaking, Matt’s Alex P. Keaton phase, Columbia University as an undergraduate, Cambridge University and discovering a love of history, being mentored and encouraged to continue studying history by Brendan Bradshaw.
37:23-47:59: After college, realizing he didn’t want to have a normal boss, moving on to Yale for graduate school, Paul Kennedy, Gaddis Smith, the Algerian War, A Diplomatic Revolution, learning to write, mentoring students.
47:59-1:00:07: First job at the University of Michigan, jargon and the cutting edge, Geoff Eley, Bob Axelrod, popular versus academic history.
1:00:07-1:07:16: Reflecting on the move from Michigan to Columbia and mentoring students.
1:00:07-1:10:46: Thoughts on our current moment and the importance of history and the university.
1:10:46-end: Outro.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit isaaccampos.substack.com