2011 World History Association Post-Conference Highlights

Well, I have to say that this year's World History Association meeting in Beijing, hosted by the Global History Center at Capital Normal University, was one for the record books.   Over 250 papers were presented, and roughly 800 people attended.  Being located in East Asia also meant that a host of first-time WHA attendees were in the mix, which added a delightful freshness to the panels and discussions. 

A number of things impressed me about the conference:

Capital Normal did a great job.  The faculty and administration clearly had their act together, and the conference went off without a hitch.

The students at Capital Normal were first rate.  The only things that exceeded their numbers were their intelligence and enthusiasm.

The papers on SE Asia in World History were particularly good.  This bodes well for the upcoming Siam Reap Symposium on SE Asian in World History to be hosted from January 2-4 in 2012.

Once again, the WHA showed that it has a great  knack for knowing how to pace a conference.  A good balance of panels, keynotes, and down time for networking is crucial to good conferencing, and the WHA has it down to an art.