Welcome

The USC-Huntington Early Modern Studies Institute (EMSI) supports advanced research and scholarship on human societies between 1450 and 1850.  The Institute’s range is global.  Unlike existing centers that focus on particular regions, the Institute aims to advance knowledge of the diverse societies in and around the Atlantic and Pacific basins. 

The Institute is composed of a community of scholars based in the Los Angeles region and supplemented by short- and long-term visitors.  EMSI strives to provide a suitable setting for nourishing intellectual achievement, advancing interdisciplinary research, and sharing path-breaking discoveries.  The Institute aims to promote new avenues for research in the humanities and social sciences.

Positioned in a city that is intellectually vibrant and demographically diverse, the Institute will combine the strengths of a major urban university with a world class independent research institution.  The Institute’s programs will contribute to the development of a range of traditional disciplines (primarily but not exclusively history, literature, and the history of art) by bringing together the insights and techniques of scholars who share an interest in early modern peoples and cultures.

                                                                                               Peter C. Mancall, Director

Our partner institutes at USC:

Institute for British and Irish Studies
(IBIS)
The Huntington-USC Institute on California and the West (ICW)
USC Institute for Economic Research on Civilizations (IERC)