Global History Student Conference
April 24th-25th 2015, Berlin
Call For Papers
In recent years, global history has become one of the most ambitious and most promising strands of historical research. The approach specifically targets relations, flows, and actors which transcend borders that for a long time had been assumed to be stable and impenetrable. It calls attention to the importance of trans-regional, transnational or trans-local connections and highlights the relevance of postcolonial theory to historiography.

But how can we actually “do global history“ in practical terms? What are concrete examples of researching and writing global history? How can global history compliment and work alongside other schools of history writing?

We – a group of students enrolled in the MA Global History at Humboldt University Berlin und Free University Berlin – would like to invite you to discuss these issues with us at the Global History Student Conference in Berlin by presenting your research projects to fellow students.

Global history not only challenges geographical borders, it also tends to transcend disciplinary demarcations. Accordingly, we welcome proposals from any academic field that has points of contact with history (e.g. art history, area studies, political science etc.). Furthermore, since global history has only been part of the European academic landscape for a few years (at least in terms of institutions and study programmes) we are all more or less beginners in this quest for interconnections, entanglements and conjunctures. This is why we explicitly invite undergraduate students: if you’ve ever written a paper or essay in this field, this is the perfect place to present it! The goal is to exchange experiences and to work together in an open and non-competitive way.

In order to facilitate the discussion we would like to organize thematically related papers into panels. Possible topics include, but are not limited to:

• spheres of knowledge production
• trade goods and networks
• ideologies and social movements
• migration and diaspora
• visual and material culture
• gender and identity
• conceptual history
• history of emotions
• environmental/ecological history

The Global History Student Conference will take place at “re:work” International Research Center in Berlin. To register for the conference please follow the two step application:

1. Submit the registration form by the 1st of March 2015. www.globalhistorystudentconference.wordpress.com/application
2. Send us an abstract of about 300 words by the 31st of March 2015. (e-mail address: globalhistorystudentconference@gmail.com)

We will be able to offer some financial support for transport and accommodation to participants coming from outside of Berlin.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us at globalhistorystudentconference@gmail.com

We are looking forward to hearing from you!