European Social Science History Conference (ESSHC 2025, Netherlands, March 26 - 29)

Abstract

The European Social Science History Conference is one of the most significant international forums in the field of social history and the humanities. Since 1996, it has brought together hundreds of scholars from around the world every two years. Hosted by leading European universities, ESSHC 2025 took place at Leiden University in the Netherlands and gathered over 1,500 speakers from 52 countries. The conference stands out for its thematic and methodological diversity, offering a space for in-depth scholarly discussion and interdisciplinary exchange. Sessions typically conclude with extended debates, providing a valuable platform for both presenters and participants to engage critically with each other’s work. ESSHC 2025 promotes new methodologies and research directions that respond to contemporary global transformations. The conference is organised around panel sessions covering a broad range of topics, including labor history, gender and feminist historiography, migration and diaspora, climate and environmental history, education, and urban development. In 2025, particular attention was given to the role of history in understanding modern crises—political, ecological, and economic. In this year there were participants from Georgia Professor Dr. Mariam Chkhartishvili and Dr. Manuchar Guntsadze. Alongside the academic program, the conference featured a book fair and informal networking spaces, reinforcing its role as a vibrant hub for scholarly dialogue and collaboration.