Richard Thomas Griffiths

Richard T. Griffiths is an Emeritus Professor of Economic and Social History and Professor of International Studies at Leiden University, with a distinguished academic career that spans several prestigious institutions, including Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Renmin University in Beijing, and Victoria University in Canada. His research primarily focuses on economic development, development assistance, and the history of European integration, reflecting a deep engagement with both historical processes and contemporary issues. Prior to his tenure at Leiden, he served as a professor of Contemporary History at the European University Institute in Florence, where he led a permanent research project on European integration history. He has also held positions at the Free University in Amsterdam and Manchester University. Griffiths holds degrees in Economic History and Russian Studies from Swansea University and earned his PhD from Cambridge University with a thesis examining the industrial retardation of the Netherlands in the early nineteenth century. In recognition of his innovative teaching methods, he received Coursera's inaugural Outstanding Educator Award for Innovation in 2016. Through his extensive research and teaching, Griffiths continues to contribute significantly to our understanding of economic history and international studies.