Transatlantic Academic Associations

With enrollment in the transatlantic doctoral program students enter the world of academic discussion and exchange. It is expected that each member of this academic community will participate in the organizations and conferences that are important pillars of the academic culture. Membership in the Transatlantic History Graduate Student Organization (THSO) as well as in the American Historical Association is highly recommended since both organizations offer opportunities and services that help further the careers of each member. THSO organizes an annual graduate symposium that allows participants to present their research to an interested and informed audience. The symposium attracts graduate students from all over North America and Europe and is an important stepping stone in the career of young scholars.

Students should also be aware of the various electronic discussion networks accessible through H-net. It is highly recommended that each graduate student subscribe to at least one or two of the discussion networks (e. g. H-Atlantic, H-Migration, H-Caribbean). See http://www.h-net.org/lists/ for a full list. H-net also is the central resource for finding information on conferences, scholarly discussions and the job market. Available academic jobs in the United States are listed on H-net. See: http://www.h-net.org/jobs/

In addition to the annual THSO symposium, students are strongly encouraged to consider other important conferences and workshops in the field of transatlantic history.

A) The International Seminar on the History of the Atlantic World, 1500-1825

The Atlantic History Seminar was established at Harvard University in 1995 by Bernard Baylin, under the auspices of the Charles Warren Center for Studies in American History and with the support of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. The aim is to advance the scholarship of young historians of many nations interested in aspects of Atlantic history in the formative years; to help create an international community of scholars familiar with approaches, archives, and intellectual traditions different from their own and ultimately to further international understanding. The Seminar meets for 10-12 days, usually in early August. The specific theme of the Seminar changes each year. Participants, for whom travel and accommodation will be provided, must be recent recipients of the Ph.D. or its equivalent or advanced doctoral students engaged in creative research on aspects of Atlantic history. Members of the seminar are drawn from the nations of Western Europe, Africa, and Latin America, joined by U.S. and Canadian scholars who are also at an early stage of their careers, for presentation of work in progress, discussions of the theme of the seminar, and exchange of views with senior scholars.

B) The annual conferences of the Transatlantic Studies Organization

The English based Transatlantic Studies Organization is an international organization for scholar who work on transatlantic relations in the post World War II era. Its members come from Great Britain , continental Europe and North America . Each year, TSO organizes an annual meeting that allows scholars in the field to present papers on various aspects of modern transatlantic history. Recently, TSO created with the Journal of Transatlantic Studies an internationally respected journal in the field of transatlantic studies. Its focus is on the transatlantic region as an area with a distinct character and a rich history. This journal publishes articles in the field of political science, comparative constitutionalism, international relations, security studies, history, literature and culture, geography and population studies, and planning and environment. Although the majority of articles published in this journal pertain to North America’s relations with Europe, it is editorial policy to include at least one article per edition dealing with Spanish, or Portuguese or French speaking America (Dutch speaking America/Caribbean will be dealt with on a case by case basis).

C) The biannual graduate student workshops of the German Historical Institute in Washington D.C.

The German Historical Institute in Washington D.C. (GHI) is a center for the exchange of scholars and knowledge between Germany and the United States . It provides a wide array of funding opportunities for American and German graduate students and post docs. In addition, the GHI organizes annual and biannual graduate student workshops. The biannual Young Scholars Forum, which took place in Arlington in 2005 and 2007, bring together graduate students who work in the field of transatlantic history from various countries.