Creating an international professional network - The International Society for History Didactics

An organization that may be of interest to THEN/HiER members is the International Society for History Didactics (ISHD). As a graduate student representative for the organization, I've had the opportunity to participate in discussions about history education and to present my own work to an international community of scholars.

The ISHD is a trilingual association (German, English and French) that brings together more than 250 specialists in history education. Every year, the ISHD organizes a conference to attract new members and to strengthen the network between existing members. This event encourages conversation about important issues in history teaching and allows everyone to become aware about new research in the field.

In an attempt to stay in touch with historians, the ISHD works in partnership with the International Committee of Historical Sciences (ICHS). Together, they organize an important conference every five years. This year, the 21st International Congress of Historical Sciences will be held in Amsterdam from August 22-28th. Many topics in history and history education will be discussed. Canadian professors Peter Seixas and Jocelyn Létourneau will be presenting a panel at the Congress titled “Historical Consciousness and Cultural Identities in a Globalizing World: Changing Roles of School History.”

The ISHD also publishes an annual collection of articles related to history teaching.

For Grad students

Next year, the ISHD will hold its regular annual conference in Basel, Switzerland. A half-day will be dedicated to grad students and young professionals who will also be invited to present their work. It will be an occasion to create a new network and to learn more about what is done in other countries.

More information about registration and funding opportunities will be available in the coming months.

If you have any questions, contact your coordinator for THEN/HiER, Sabrina Moisan at: s_moisan@yahoo.com