Excellent opportunities are often lost because of not paying attention to detail

Ackland: there is always time for tourism while attending a conference

Excellent opportunities are often lost because of not paying attention to detail  

I often delete conference calls from my inbox after scanning the name of the organization and then deciding that it is not really in my field of specialization although I would like to visit the host university or city. Take for instance the call for papers from the Australian Historical Association for their annual conference 3-7 July 2017 at the University of Newcastle. Even if you get to read the theme which is ‘Entangled Histories’ many of you will think that you will not be able to present at this conference. But read this: ‘The conference theme will explore the ways in which peoples, ideas and goods circulated across the boundaries of empires and nations. ‘Entangled History’ views all cultures and societies as connected. We welcome submissions that consider the value of entangled frameworks for historical analysis from all historical periods, themes and research areas.’ Don’t you agree that this description opens up opportunities for a much larger number of academics to present their research?

In addition to the general theme, the following are also included: Indigenous histories; histories of violence; migration and refugee histories; Mobilities, transnational spaces and borders in history; histories of sexuality; digital histories; histories of health, illness and disability; intimate histories of families and localities; public histories and cultural heritage. Affiliated with the conference, there are also strands included on Women’s history, environmental history, religious history and oral history.

Because I am a theologian, I attended two previous conference and presented papers in the Religious history strands while enjoying the general history discussions of the main strand and other themes very much. I presented on South African Church History and the level of understanding and knowledge of our situation surprised me. I also met people from Australia and New Zealand who were doing research on aspects of South African history and culture and we engaged in interesting and thought provoking discussions.