Original Thesis Work? Get It Out There!

Something to think about when you're an Amsterdam MA student with a thesis on a Cold War topic. This is a prominent graduate student conference, and it's being held in London next spring. It would be a good opportunity to present the core of your thesis research (and get valuable feedback before you submit the final version!). Check it out and think about it!


Call for Papers
10th Annual LSE-GWU-UCSB International Graduate
Student Conference on the Cold War

London, 19-21 April 2012


The LSE IDEAS Cold War Studies Programme (CWSP), The Center for Cold War Studies (CCWS) of the University of California at Santa Barbara, and the George Washington University Cold War Group (GWCW) are pleased to announce the 2012 International Graduate Student Conference on the Cold War.

In 2003, UCSB and GWU first joined their separate spring conferences, and two years later LSE
became a co-sponsor. The three cold war centres now hold a jointly sponsored conference each year, alternating among the three campuses.

The conference is an excellent opportunity for graduate students to present papers and receive
critical feedback from peers and experts in the field. We encourage submissions by graduate
students working on any aspect of the Cold War, broadly defined. Of particular interest are
papers that employ newly available primary sources, non-traditional methodologies, or
under-investigated aspects of the Cold War.

To be considered, each prospective participant should submit a 300 word proposal (original to this conference) and a brief academic CV (in Word or pdf format) to ideas.coldwar@lse.ac.uk, with “Graduate Conference Proposal- YourLastName” in the subject line. Participants must be PhD students (pre-viva) or research masters students. The deadline for proposals is 8 January 2012. Successful applicants will be notified by 5 February. Papers must be no longer than 7500 words including footnotes (in Chicago style) and submitted by 25 March. The author of the best paper will be awarded the Saki Ruth Dockrill Memorial Prize, the opportunity to publish the paper in Cold War History, and a £100 book voucher.

The conference sessions will be chaired by prominent faculty members from LSE, GWU, UCSB, CWSP research associates, and other prominent Cold War and international historians. The organizers will provide accommodation and meals. Participants may be asked to pay a small attendance fee (not more than £40) and will be responsible for their travel to London. Further information can be found on the conference website.

Dissertation Defense, Friday September 16: Samuël Kruizinga

Later this semester in the Colloquium on the History of International Relations, this Friday at the University auditorium (Aula): Samuël Kruizinga. The public defense of his dissertation, entitled Economische politiek. De Nederlandsche Overzee Trustmaatschappij (1914-1919) en de Eerste Wereldoorlog (Economic politics[policy]: The Dutch Overseas Trust Company, 1914-1919, and the First World War) will commence at 13 hours sharp. Samuël should correct me, but I think the Dutch word "politiek" in the title can and should be taken in both senses of the word. I look forward to seeing the book (or else ask him about it when he talks to our Colloquium, next month). Public dissertation defenses are good ways to learn something about the topic, and the research, at hand, and the receptions that follow not only provide drinks and snacks, but also opportunities to meet new people. Check it out if you can!

Special Lecture: Kurt Volker, Tuesday September 13

Kurt Volker in het Oost Indisch Huis

Dinsdag 13 september houdt Kurt Volker een inleiding getiteld

Ten Years After 9/11: Evaluating International Cooperation and Assessing Challenges for the Future

De lezing vindt plaats in de VOC zaal van het Oost-Indisch Huis, Kloveniersburgwal 48 te Amsterdam,

en begint om 12.00 uur precies

Volker (1962) is managing director en senior fellow van het Center for Transatlantic Relations aan de School of Advanced International Studies van de Johns Hopkins Universiteit. Eerder was hij permanent vertegenwoordiger van de VS bij de NAVO (2008-2009) en bekleedde hij uiteenlopende hoge functies in het State Department en de National Security Council. Hij begon zijn loopbaan als analist bij de Central Intelligence Agency.

Kurt Volker zal een inleiding houden van ongeveer een half uur, waarna er gelegenheid is tot het stellen van vragen. De bijeenkomst is uiterlijk om 13.30 afgelopen.

Studenten geschiedenis van internationale betrekkingen zijn van harte welkom.

Voor wie zich wil voorbereiden:

http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/Opinion/2011/0728/Afghanistan-and-Libya-point-NATO-to-five-lessons
http://www.euce.gatech.edu/node/206
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2011/08/23/dont_call_it_a_comeback
http://www.bloomberg.com/video/74276438/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZhIn9eX6Cw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCWWnAMPLwE&feature=related
http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/Opinion/2011/0526/Obama-s-crucial-moment-in-Poland
http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/volker-macedonia-moving-backwards

Welcome

I'm creating this as a test, to have a forum for all interested in the history of international relations, as practiced in the history department at Amsterdam. The university has all the official stuff, essential to run the program, but that's not the same as having a place where we can reach the entire group of students, staff, and other interested folk. So as the coordinator of the program, I'm giving this a try. Given that we do international relations, I'm starting off in English, but don't be surprised to see Dutch, German, or other languages here from time to time. We will develop this as we go along. In the meantime, spread the word!