Globalization can be described and defined in myriad ways, but as a result it has become over-used to the point of meaninglessness. ConIH consequently invites graduate students from all continents and disciplines to submit grounded empirical studies of three of the main constituents of globalization: mobilities, flows and networks.

The mobilities of individuals, groups, and their ideas drive global history. Clans and communities, pilgrims and professionals, people who emigrated voluntarily or through coercion give a human face to these often abstractly conceived processes.

The flows of non-human actors—ranging from germs and criminalized substances, the demand for capital and commodities, through to the attractiveness of alien religious and cultural practices—provide a second point of entry to the study of a “globalized” world.

Lastly, networks are infrastructural manifestations of global history through the proliferation of technologies, transport and communication across the globe, the exploding number of NGOs, the legal, political and institutional structures of global governance and diplomacy. Many of these networks specifically addressed the problems, potential, and promise of trans-national mobilities and flows.

While we hope this formulation encourages a more rigorous analysis of these broad phenomena, we also welcome papers that challenge and expand these definitions and this framework of analysis.

ConIH encourages methodologically innovative approaches and agendas which emphasize long-distance influences, utilize multi-archival and multi-lingual research and offer vistas for historical comparisons across time and space. Perspectives from related disciplines such as law, social science, economics, business or anthropology are welcome and encouraged. Faculty from Harvard and beyond will provide commentary on the papers. The conference will conclude with a plenary session, at which several leading scholars in the fields of international and global history will discuss broad issues pertaining to the themes and terms of the conference.

Graduate students who are interested in participating in the conference should submit a one-page paper proposal and one-page curriculum vita (in Word, RTF, or PDF format) to: conih@fas.harvard.edu.
Proposals must be received by November 20, 2010, in order to be considered. Notification of acceptance will be made in December.
For additional information about the conference, please contact the conference organizers at: conih@fas.harvard.edu,
or visit the conference website at: http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~conih