The graduate school is jointly run by Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität Berlin. It brings together principal investigators from various research institutions in Berlin such as the Zentrum Moderner Orient, the Max Planck Institute for Human Development and the Forum Transregionale Studien as well as a network of international partners in the form of the Global History Collaborative.

PhD students will have the opportunity to stay at one of the member institutions of the GHC as a visiting scholar and participate in academic activities there, with associated reseachers of the graduate school acting as liasons. The graduate school will also organize regular summer schools and workshops that will be hosted by GHC members.