Intent of this Symposium
The Need
World history is a new field. Its terminological variety (world history, global history, transnational history, international history) shows that its boundaries and character remain in flux. World history is readily recognized as a field for teaching and for synthesis, but not for research. This Symposium is to facilitate discussion of past and proposed research projects in world history. It is to locate the areas of consensus and debate on the best directions for future research.
Funding agencies do not generally recognize world history as a field of research. A coherent statement from the Symposium will make it easier for funding agencies to provide funding for well-designed proposals.
Preparation for the Symposium
Participants and Observers should read the statements of Participants, posted on the conference website. They are numerous and diverse, and it takes a while to absorb their variety. Readers should learn of the alternative approaches, objectives, topics, and time frames of the various statements. Identify commonalities and choices.
Discussion during the Sessions
Participants should study the objective and approach of each argument presented. The initial presentations will be very brief, but discussion based on those presentations will be extended. The objective, during Symposium discussions, is to achieve a balance between consideration of each statement and combining statements to develop an overall statement of research priorities.
The Concluding Symposium Session (Sunday)
In open discussion, the Participants and Observers will combine to try to agree on major priorities for world-historical research: on topics, methods, and time frames, but also on disciplines and organization of research.
In the course of the discussion, the Participants will select three of their number who will lead in writing an article-length summary of the Symposium and especially its conclusions. This summary will be circulated to Participants for commentary before it is published.
Follow-up
The Symposium summary will be published and distributed widely. Applicants for research funding will have the opportunity to include the statement as confirmation of the significance of their topic and approach.
If the Symposium appears to be productive, a similar meeting will be scheduled in another two or three years, to review the impact of the first Symposium, and to reconsider research priorities in world history.
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