International Relations and History:

Themes, methods and exchanges

Bowett Room, Queens’ College, Cambridge

12 May 2017 – from 9.20 to 17.30

The past two decades have witnessed a resurgence of the historical study of international
relations. International Relations (IR) scholars from different traditions have reconsidered
the importance of thinking historically about the international system. Specialist groups
engaging critically with the history of international relations have emerged, and new
anthologies of major works dealing with ‘historical International Relations’ have been
published. The growing interest in the historical aspects of international relations also led
to stimulating interdisciplinary dialogues with international and intellectual historians. This
one-day conference will bring together major scholars concerned with historical International
Relations from the UK and abroad to reflect on the place of history in IR. The conference
will investigate what does it mean to ‘think historically’ in IR, what kind of methodologies
should be adopted, what kind of historical research can be particularly useful to IR scholars,
and how historical knowledge can direct our research. The conference aims to examine the
relations between history and IR from methodological, thematic, analytical and conceptual
viewpoints.

The organisers thank the Department of Politics and International Studies and the Trevelyan Fund,
Faculty of History for their generous support as well as Queens’ College for hosting the event.

Attendance is free, but places are limited. All those wishing to attend must register.

Organisers: Or Rosenboim | University of Cambridge | or245@cam.ac.uk

Maja Spanu | University of Cambridge | ms2406@cam.ac.uk
Programme

09.20-09.30 Opening remarks

Or Rosenboim, Maja Spanu | University of Cambridge
09.30-11.00 Panel 1: Thinking Historically in IR
Historical International Relations: Past debates and future paths
Benjamin de Carvalho and Halvard Leira | Norwegian Institute of Foreign Affairs
International Relations and History Revisited
Andrew Hurrell | University of Oxford
Chair: Or Rosenboim
Discussant: Duncan Bell | University of Cambridge
11.00-11.15 Coffee break
11.15-12.45 Panel 2: On History, Theory and Method in IR
The International Origins of Political and Social Theory
Tarak Barkawi and George Lawson | London School of Economics
Bringing Up the Bodies: A Contrapuntal Method for Global Historical Sociology
Meera Sabaratnam | The School of Oriental and African Studies
Chair: Duncan Kelly | University of Cambridge
Discussant: AyŞe Zarakol | University of Cambridge
12.45-14.00 Lunch break
14.00-15.30 Panel 3: Who is Absent from the History of International Thought?
Why are There no Women in Histories of International Thought?
Patricia Owens | University of Sussex
Rewriting the History of International Thought: Intellectual History, Origins and Missing
Voices
Lucian Ashworth | Memorial University
Chair: Maja Spanu | University of Cambridge
Discussant: Katharina Rietzler | University of Sussex
15.30-16.00 Coffee break
16.00-17.30 Panel 4: Historical Knowledge and the Making of International Relations
The Military Revolution and European Expansion in History and International Relations
Jason Sharman | University of Cambridge
Using History for Ethnocentric IR
Shogo Suzuki | University of Manchester
Chair: Stefano Recchia | University of Cambridge
Discussant: Sean Fleming | University of Cambridge
17.30-17.45 Concluding remarks
Or Rosenboim, Maja Spanu
18.00-19.00 Drinks reception
19.00 Dinner for delegates, Queens’ College, Cambridge