Call for Papers
We are delighted to announce that the HDR conference of the Centre for Contemporary Histories at Deakin University will be held on 11th October at Deakin Downtown, Melbourne.
The theme of this conference is “Inheriting Histories”. As historians-in-training, HDRs not only innovate new ways of crafting history, but also inherit existing practices and ways of understanding the past from established scholars. This ongoing transfer of knowledge is central to work of the Centre for Contemporary Histories, where HDRs engage with history as a living discipline, informed not only by the foundational practices of previous scholars, but also by the oversights, assumptions and absences that such practices can encourage. “Inheriting Histories” invites researchers to reflect on the relationship between themselves, their own research, and the established knowledge and methods that inform their work. The conference seeks to question the nature of history as a discipline – how has knowledge been exchanged, built upon, and contested to form an understanding of the past? Is inheritance of past practices a powerful tool, or a hindrance to the discovery of new ways of thinking? Who determines which history is passed on, and which is left to fade into obscurity?
We invite abstracts from historians as well as interdisciplinary researchers who work with history and are interested in the conference theme. The papers may examine any time period, geographical space or historical field, according to the researcher’s interest. We do, however, encourage proposals to engage with one or more of the three research pillars of the Centre of Contemporary Histories:
- Democracy and History
- Improving and Building Collections
- Security and Development
As this is a HDR-led conference, we welcome submissions from current HDR students. This conference is an excellent opportunity for emerging scholars to present their research to fellow HDRs and ECRs in history and related fields. Priority will be given to presenters based at Victorian institutions or those who can attend in person, although the conference will have a hybrid format. Please be advised that we are not able to provide funding for speakers to attend the conference. Presenters are encouraged to make use of their home institution’s funding if they wish to attend.
Presenters will be given 20 minutes to speak, followed by time for questions.
Deadline for submissions: 2 August 2024
We are currently accepting submissions of abstracts (150-200 words, no citations or footnotes) along with 3-5 keywords, a working title, and a short bio (50-100 words). Please email these to contemporaryhistories2024@gmail.com by 2 August 2024. Accepted abstracts will be announced from 16 August 2024.
The conference is an all-day event with refreshments and lunch provided. Attendance is free. For further information, please do not hesitate to contact the conference committee by email at contemporaryhistories2024@gmail.com.
Thank you for your interest. As a committee, we look forward to reading your submissions!
The CCH HDR Conference Committee.
Liam Detering
Ana Rosa Marginson
Scott Denis McCarthy
Anna Wilkinson
Max Billington