Well, the Great Firewall succeeded in keeping me from posting while I was in Beijing, but I can at least make a few comments about this year's World History Association meeting. Hosted by the Global History Center at Capital Normal University, this was certainly one of the best WHA meetings to date. There were record numbers of panels and attendees. And, thanks to the East Asian location, a number of the participants were first-timers for the WHA, which helped give the conference a fresh vibe.
What stood out for me at the conference? Well, I have to say I was impressed by Capital Normal University. The local conference committee did a great job in organizing the meeting, which went off very smoothly. There was even simultaneous translation for the keynotes and major presentations. The students at Capital Normal were also very impressive. They were as tireless and smart as they were numerous, which is saying something. Every conference room had a student in charge of making sure that the speakers were attended to with water and tech support.
Once again, also, I was impressed that the
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Jul 28, 2011
by Cliopatria
Well, I have to say that this year's World History Association meeting in Beijing, hosted by the Global History Center at Capital Normal University, was one for the record books. Over 250 papers were presented, and roughly 800 people attended. Being located in East Asia also meant that a host of first-time WHA attendees were in the mix, which added a delightful freshness to the panels and discussions.
A number of things impressed me about the conference:
Capital Normal did a great job. The faculty and administration clearly had their act together, and the conference went off without a hitch.
The students at Capital Normal were first rate. The only things that exceeded their numbers were their intelligence and enthusiasm.
The papers on SE Asia in World History were particularly good. This bodes well for the upcoming Siam Reap Symposium on SE Asian in World History to be hosted from January 2-4 in 2012.
Once again, the WHA showed that it has a great knack for knowing how to pace a conference. A good balance of panels, keynotes, and down time for