As we begin another academic year, history feels both more fragile – and more essential – than ever. In a world of global pandemics, political unrest, environmental collapse, the cost of living crisis, and the financial devastation of Higher Education, educators and students are navigating a shared sense of precarity. We are tasked with understanding a relentlessly changing present through the lens of the past, all the while remaining profoundly uncertain about our economic, institutional, and personal futures.
How do we equip students to connect the dots between history and climate collapse? How do we talk about historical injustice and inequality in ways that strengthen ongoing struggles for justice? These questions are not just about curriculum change—they’re about pedagogical transformation. They’re about how we teach history when the world feels like it’s falling apart, and how we prepare our students to navigate all this chaos. As educators, we must adapt our methods, rethink our pedagogies, and explore innovative ways to engage students while addressing the complexities of the present moment.
A unique collaboration between HistoryLab+, HistoryLab, and History UK, ‘Teaching in a Time of Crisis’ seeks to bring together educators, historians, researchers, and practitioners to explore how history education can navigate and respond to contemporary crises. Our conference will be held at the University of Warwick on 29 May 2025.
We invite papers that might address the following themes:
- Teaching history during global crises
- Historiography and public memory in times of crisis
- Innovative and decolonizing pedagogies
- The role of historians as public intellectuals
- Ethics and teaching contested histories
- Teaching climate history amid environmental crises
- The future of history education
- Teaching history outside of history courses
- Teaching in school contexts
- History uptake and history as a career choice
As part of our commitment to accessibility and engagement, we also welcome proposals for online sessions. These should follow the same guidelines as in-person ones, and we particularly welcome innovative formats that leverage the strengths of virtual conferencing.
Submission Guidelines:
We welcome proposals for individual papers, panels, workshops, roundtable discussions, and other creative and critical formats. To submit, please send a pitch of up to 200 words as well as a title, presenter’s name(s), institutional affiliation(s), and contact information to ihrhistorylab@gmail.com with the Subject Line ‘Teaching in a Time of Crisis’
Submissions are encouraged from educators, graduate students, independent scholars, and practitioners involved in history education at all levels.
- Submission Deadline: 17 January 2025 at midnight
- Notification of Acceptance:14 February 2025
HistoryLab+ and HistoryLab are pleased to offer a limited number of bursaries to defray travel and accommodation expenses. To apply for a bursary, please note your interest in your proposal email. We particularly encourage applications from graduate students, as well as those who are unemployed, in between jobs, or in precarious work.