People

Professor Dónal Hasset has previously held academic positions at University of Bristol and University College Cork. Dónal is a colonial historian focusing on the history of the French empire. He is particularly interested in the legacies of conflict in colonial contexts, having written extensively on the contested politics of colonial commemoration, the representation of the colonial past in museums and, of course, on colonial veterancy.

Dónal has published widely on these issues in leading international peer reviewed journals, including in the: Journal of Contemporary History, First World War Studies, French Historical Studies, Modern & Contemporary France, and International Journal of Francophone Studies.

Dr Anindita Bhattacharya hails from Bengal and is a scholar of Indian history and literature. Interested in postcolonial theoretical approaches, she is very excited to explore the histories and experiences of Indian veterans in the interwar period.

Dr. Nicola Camilleri is a social and cultural historian of modern Europe in its colonial and postcolonial entanglements. His research focuses on the history of citizenship, militarism and sociability. Nicola is particularly interested in investigating the social dynamics and cultural production around colonial power in the imperial space. His work has appeared in Northeast African Studies, Journal of Modern European History and European History Quarterly.

After working as a postdoctoral researcher in the ERC project PREWArAs The Dark Side of the Belle Époque. Armed Associations and Political Violence in Europe before the First World War at the University of Padua, he has held fellowships at various institutions, including the German Historical Institute in Rome and the Italian Academy for Advanced Studies in America, Columbia University, in New York.

Hilary Hooks is an Administrator in the Arts and Humanities Institute at Maynooth University, where she supports research projects across all stages of the research life cycle. Her work focuses on helping researchers navigate institutional processes, from early idea development through to the delivery of funded projects. She is currently Project Manager for the ERC COLVET and ERC INTEMPO projects, and the HIDDEN COST Action.

Hilary holds a BA in Psychology and Philosophy from the University of Leeds and an MSc in Women’s Studies from Trinity College Dublin. She has worked at Maynooth University since 2017 and has a longstanding interest in equality and inclusive research. Alongside her institutional experience, she brings a practical, solution-focused approach shaped by running her own business, supporting the development of creative and viable research ideas.