Upcoming conferences
Second Call for Papers:
14th International Conference on the History of Chemistry
Every other year the EuChemS Working Party on the History of Chemistry (WPHC) organizes an international conference on the history of chemistry, open to colleagues from all over the world. The general aim of the conferences organised by the WPHC is to facilitate communication between historically interested chemists, museum curators, science educators and historians of chemistry, and to gather the community on a regular basis. The 14th International Conference on the History of Chemistry (14 ICHC) will take place from 11 to 14 of June, 2025 in Valencia, Spain, on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea.
The 14 ICHC will be hosted by the Lopez Piñero Inter-University Institute – University of Valencia, an academic institution which supports research projects and outreach activities on historical and social studies on medicine, technology, science and the environment.
The general conference theme is Chemistry & Capitalism , with the aim to foster debates about the relationship between chemistry broadly constructed, industry, environment, and regulations through a historical perspective. A non-exhaustive list of possible topics includes:
-Chemistry/chymistry in the market before capitalism
-Artisans & industries
-Globalization & corporative powers
-Experts in economy & science
-Fascist science
-Communist science
-Gendered technologies
-Regulation & decision-making
-Commodification & circulation of chemistry
-Toxics & agriculture
-Environmental history
-Labor & trade unions in chemistry
-Neoliberalism & academy
-Communicating science and propaganda
-Chemistry in mass media
Sessions and papers on all aspects of the historical development of material and life sciences are also welcomed.
The conference programme will include scientific sessions, and the following key-note lectures:
- Francesca Antonelli (Universitat de València), “Compound Interests: The Paulze and Lavoisier Families between Chemistry, Administration, and Politics (1760s–1830s)”
- Angela Creager (Princeton University), “Chemical Passports: Environmental Science, Information, and Regulation in the Trade of Toxic Substances”
- David Edgerton (King’s College London), “What can chemistry tells us about capitalism, and what can capitalism tells us about chemistry?”
The conference will also feature an early Career information session, the Commission for the History of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences (CHCMS) Early Career Lecture, the John and Martha Morris award ceremony, the WPHC business meeting, as well as social events such as a welcome party, a conference dinner, and a visit to the blast furnace and other industrial heritage sites in the city of Sagunto, which also preserves a Roman castle and theater.
Important Dates
- Deadline for submitting proposals: 1 December 2024
- Notification of acceptance: 5 February
- Provisional programme: March 2025
- Application for grants (SHAC, CHCMS & IILP): 28 February 2025
- Decision about grants: 15 March 2025
- Early bird registration: before 15 April 2025
- Late registration: before 16 April – 15 May 2025
- Deadline to have paper included in the programme: 15 May 2025
- On-site registration (not included in the programme): 16 May – 14 June 2025
- Final programme: Late May 2025
- Conference dates: 11 – 14 June 2025 (Saturday excursion included)
Proposal guidelines
The programme committee especially encourages the submission of panel/session proposals, but also welcomes the submission of stand-alone papers. Collaborations and co-authorships are accepted.
All proposals must be in English, the language of the conference. Submitted abstracts and session proposals (max. 250 words) will be subject to review by an International Advisory Committee, that assists the Steering Organising Committee in ensuring the quality of the conference programme (see below). Sessions should include about 4-6 papers, and no more than one session can be proposed by the same organizer. There is a limit of one paper per presenter (including the papers listed inside a panel or a session). Each participant will have 15 minutes to present the paper, additional time will be included in all session for discussions and debates. All paper proposals must use the templates for panels and papers provided on the conference website, and submitted by email (by December 1st, 2024) to:
Additional information on submission
- The Steering Committee has the flexibility to adjust the proposed sessions as necessary.
- The Working Party for the History of Chemistry is committed to advancing gender equality, social justice, and geographical diversity at our conferences. The review process will take these factors into account to ensure the event is accessible to scholars from diverse backgrounds, institutions, and professional circumstances, while promoting inclusivity and equitable representation within academia.
Venue
The conference will be organized by the Lopez Piñero Interuniversity Institute (University of Valencia). The Institute is located in a restored 18th century palace in the centre of the city of Valencia, where the Historical-Medical Library and the Scientific-Medical Collection of the University of Valencia are located, with permanent and temporary monographic exhibitions.
Registration fees
| Category | Early bird (before 15 April) | Regular fee (16 April – 15 May) | On-site registration (16 May -14 June) (not included in the programme) | |
| Conference fee, regular participants | 250 € | 300 € | 400 € | |
| Reduced fee (students and independent scholars)* | 50 € | 100 € | 200 € | |
| Accompanying persons | 150 € | 200 € | 300 € | |
| Conference dinner | € to be announced | |||
| Day excursion | € to be announced | |||
| Tour in the city | € to be announced | |||
Registration will open in February 2025.
The registration fees include the following:
- Admission to all conference sessions
- Conference materials and participant package
- Light lunches at the conference venue for the three days of the meeting
- Tea, coffee, and refreshments during session breaks
(*) Please note that reduced fees are intended for pre-doctoral or postdoctoral students without economic resources, or unemployed scholars and other individuals in a precarious financial situation, and particularly to those who lack regular sources of income. Applicants are required to submit a letter or statement detailing their circumstances by 28 February 2025.
Practical info
Permissions: In registering for the 14 ICHC, participants and speakers grant permission to the ICHC team to film, record or photograph it, as well as to be included in the book of abstracts. It is understood that these recordings and photographs may be used for news or promotional purposes for the promotion of the conference.
For practical information about the city, accommodations, and other details, please visit the website section, which will be updated regularly.
International organisers
Working Party on History of Chemistry of the European Chemical Society
Local organisers
Lopez Piñero Inter-University Institute – University of Valencia.
Steering Organising Committee
José Ramon BERTOMEU-SANCHEZ, Inter-university Institute for Science Studies (IILP)- Universitat de València, Spain
Annette LYKKNES, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway (chair of the Working Party on History of Chemistry)
Ignacio SUAY-MATALLANA, Inter-university Institute for Science Studies (IILP)-Universitat de València, Spain (co-chair of the Steering Organizing Committee)
Brigitte Van TIGGELEN, Science History Institute, Philadelphia, USA (co-chair of the Steering Organizing Committee)
Local Organizing Committee
Francesca ANTONELLI, IUED, Universitat de València, Spain
José Ramon BERTOMEU-SANCHEZ, IILP-Universitat de València, Spain Carmel FERRAGUD, IILP-Universitat de València, Spain
Antonio GARCÍA BELMAR, Universidad de Alicante, Spain Ximo GUILLEM-LLOBAT, IILP-Universitat de València, Spain Sofiya KAMALOVA, IILP-Universitat de València, Spain
Silvia PÉREZ CRIADO, IILP-Universitat de València, Spain
Ignacio SUAY-MATALLANA, IILP-Universitat de València, Spain (chair)
International Advisory Committee
Charlotte ABNEY SALOMON, Science History Institute, USA Francesca ANTONELLI, IUED, Universitat de València, Spain Marco BERETTA, Università di Bologna, Italy
Gisela BOECK, Institute of Chemistry, Rostock University, Germany Ewa BULSKA, Uniwersytet Warszawski, Warsaw, Poland
Filip A. BUYSE, Royal Flemish Chemical Society, Belgium
José Antonio CHAMIZO GUERRERO, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México Maria José CORREA-GÓMEZ, Universidad Andres Bello, Chile
Danielle ME FAUQUE, EST-GHDSO, Faculté des sciences, Université Paris-Saclay, France Hjalmar FORS, Hagströmer Library, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
Antonio GARCÍA BELMAR, Universidad de Alicante, Spain Pere GRAPI VILUMARA, Societat Catalana de Química, Spain Corinna GUERRA, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Italy Georgina HEDESAN, University of Oxford, UK
Thijs HAGENDIJK, Universiteit Utrecht, The Netherlands Ernst HOMBURG, Maastricht University, The Netherlands Frank AJL JAMES, University College London, UK
Yoshiyuki KIKUCHI, Aichi Prefectural University, Japan Anders LUNDGREN, Uppsala University, Sweden
Isabel MALAQUIAS, CIDTFF, Universidade de Aveiro, Portugal. Matteo MARTELLI, Università di Bologna, Italy
Christoph MEINEL, Universität Regensburg, Germany
Vesna MILANOVIC MASTRAPOVIC, University of Belgrade – Faculty of Chemistry, Serbia Bruce MORAN, University of Nevada, USA
Peeter MÜÜRSEPP, Tallinn University of Technology, Estonia Inés PELLÓN, Universidad del País Vasco, Spain
Asbjørn PETERSEN, The Danish Society for the History of Chemistry, Denmark
Birutė RAILIENĖ, Wroblewski Library of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences, Lithuania Carsten REINHARDT, Universität Bielefeld, Germany
Maria RENTETZI, Friedrich-Alexander- Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany Alan ROCKE, Case Western Reserve University, USA
Ana SIMÕES, CIUHCT- University of Lisbon, Portugal Rudolph W. SOUKUP, Universität Wien, Austria
Sacha TOMIC, Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, France Geert VANPAEMEL, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium
Contact information for practical questions:
Conference web site: https://esdeveniments.uv.es/go/14ICHC
Sponsors:
Past Events
Past Conferences (2023)
The National Meeting on the History of Chemistry in Portugal, 8-9 September 2023
The II Encontro Nacional de História da Química (2ENHQ) / II National Meeting on the History of Chemistry aimed to promote the discussion on “Multiple facets in the history of chemical science”. It was an opportunity to disseminate recent works in the historiography of Portuguese chemistry, as well as to bring together different conceptions about the history of the transversality of chemistry. The 2ENHQ was held online 8 – 9 September 2023.
For more details, please follow this link: Introdução | II Encontro Nacional de História da Química :: 8-9 setembro 2023 (chemistry.pt)
The 9th Norwegian Conference on History of Science, 29 November –
2 December 2023
The WPHC circulated a call for a panel on chemistry and anniversaries:
Anniversaries in chemistry, chemistry in anniversaries, CfP Trondheim 29 Nov-2 Dec 2023
Anniversaries offer an opportunity to revisit the history of an institution, an event, a discovery, or the biography of a scientist, and their representations in previous history writing. Commemorations can therefore lead to new knowledge about the past and an increased awareness of how historians have understood events or their anniversaries in previous times. However, if approached uncritically, commemorations may also contribute to “distorted” histories. Anniversary celebrations might even invoke new heroes, especially if they occur in a national context.
The conference CfP can be found here: Short Years, Long Years, and Round Years: Anniversaries in the History of Science – Museum for universitets- og vitenskapshistorie (uio.no)
In the symposium, we addressed the role of anniversaries in the history of chemistry and which role chemical events, individuals, and institutions have played in anniversary histories.
Contributions were welcome on all periods and geographic locations addressing topics including but not limited to the following:
- Discoveries in the history of chemistry, and their different representations over time
- The representation of the history of chemistry in institutional history
- The changing identity of chemistry in commemorative practices
- Heroes and heroines in chemistry anniversaries
- The many “founding fathers” in popular commemorative practices
- Commemorative practices in the teaching of chemistry. Which stories are told, and for what purpose?
- Co-creation of knowledge in history of chemistry through laboratory experiments: What insight can modern chemical methods offer?
- What can turns in the history of science/chemistry (such as the ‘material’ or ‘spatial’ turns) offer to commemorative practices in chemistry?
The symposium was sponsored by the Working Party on History of Chemistry, European Chemical Society.
Abstracts of maximum 250 words used the following template: template-abstract-submission.docx (live.com)
13. ICHC in Vilnius, 23-27 May 2023
The biennial business meeting of the Working Party took place on Friday 26 May. We elected two new officers; a vice chair and a secretary.
Proposals/plans for the two coming ICHCs have been presented (Valencia, 2025 and Bologna, 2027).
Book of Abstracts
Past Conferences (2022)
CfP, ESHS Brussels, 7-10 September 2022:
Service science between policy and practice? The role of chemical institutions and experts
In her editorial address in connection with the 80th anniversary of the history of alchemy and chemistry journal, Ambix in 2017, then editor Jennifer M. Rampling suggested that the future of the history of chemistry is its ubiquity. Indeed, the so-called material turn in the history of science treats chemistry as a “less distinctive and more representative of scientific knowledge and practice as a whole” (Rampling, 2017). As Hasok Chang states in an article in the same issue of Ambix, the combination of the laboratory experience, the systematic theoretical thinking and the usefulness of such knowledge makes chemistry “an exemplary field of science” (Chang, 2017).
In this session, we would like to revisit both the theme of chemical sites or institutions, and that of the chemist as an expert – and the role of these institutions and experts in the development of science-based expertise relevant for decision-making at a political level, local or central. Much attention has been given to the chemistry laboratory but also to other sites of chemistry as places for material research and development (Morris, 2015; Ambix special issues, 2015). Likewise, the role of the chemist as an expert in such various sites of knowledge production has been investigated in Ambix (special issue 2020) and elsewhere. Specifically, the articulation of materials, production and governance is of particular relevance in the making of modern Europe as shown by Roberts and Werrett in their 2018 edited volume Compound Histories.
We welcome contributions on all periods and geographic locations addressing topics including but not limited, to the following:
- Chemical sites as places and spaces of the development of knowledge useful at the political level
- The chemist as consultant for state and private lobbyists, including a particular emphasis on women appointed as chemical experts
- Circulation of chemical knowledge across institutions of authority in decision-making processes
- The chemist in the courtroom
- Openness and secrecy in the dissemination of scientific knowledge, and the political use thereof
- Amateur versus professional scholarship in chemistry, and status of expertise
- Materials research, testing laboratory (such as standardization assay, and the fight against fraud and falsification), standards analytical procedures… etc. in science policy
The symposium is sponsored by the Working Party on History of Chemistry, European Chemical Society. Interested contributors are invited to send an abstract of maximum 250 words and a bio of maximum 50 words to Annette Lykknes () and Brigitte Van Tiggelen () no later than 12 January. Please also include your current affiliation.
Past Conferences (2021)
Lives in Chemistry (Lebenswerke in der Chemie) book serie – Launch on 7th September 2021 4-6 pm
The Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker (GDCh) is pleased to announce the launch of a new book series, “Lives in Chemistry”, in an online event on 7 September 2021, 4-6 pm.
Three ‘laudators’ Florian Budde, Frankfurt, Stefanie Dehnen, Marburg, and Peter Schreiner, Giessen, will introduce the authors and read short extracts from their books, and there will be welcome addresses from the GDCh and the Deutsche Bunsen-Gesellschaft, Frankfurt.
Link to the online event : https://l-i-c.org/launch.html (website in German)
About the book series
Lives in Chemistry – Lebenswerke in der Chemie
The series of autobiographies ‘Lives in Chemistry’ provides insights into the lives and thoughts of outstanding scientists in the context of the times they lived in. What role does the continuous sequence of hypothesis, experiment, and interpretation play in top chemical research? What is the role of impulses from mentors, students, colleagues, and competitors? Successful scientists describe authentically and in a very personal way how new discoveries in the natural sciences are made. Two or three books a year are to be published from the wide fields of chemistry and biochemistry.
Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker (GDCh)
With approximately 30,000 members from science, business, and free-lance professions, the GDCh (German Chemical Society) constitutes a large, professionally and socially relevant community. Its more than 150-year-old history, world-wide networks, and high scientific and social standards provide the basis for its creative activities for the benefit of a sustainable world in which life is worth living.
GNT-Verlag
The Verlag für Geschichte der Naturwissenschaften und der Technik (Publishers for the History of Natural Sciences and Technology) has dedicated itself to the history of chemistry for over 30 years. Its most recent publications in this regard are on modern chemistry of the atmosphere and new biographic aspects about Otto Hahn.
Press contact
GNT-Verlag GmbH
Lasiuszeile 2, 13585 Berlin
First National Meeting on the History of Chemistry (1ENHQ 2021), Portugal
The First National Meeting on the History of Chemistry (1ENHQ 2021) will take place on September 17-18, 2021.
The main objective is to bring together the members of the History of Chemistry Group of the Portuguese Chemical Society, and to present the exciting, innovative research developed in this area.
Future meetings will be held on a regular basis, enhancing the area of History of Science, Technology and Medicine and establishing a forum for critical thinking on the development of science and its impact on society.
The website of the event is already available here
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 1ENHQ 2021 will be held as a virtual conference.
Registered participants will receive the link to access.
13ICHC (Vilnius, Lithuania) postponed
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the 13th International Conference on History of Chemistry (13ICHC) has changed the date of its venue but will still be held. The conference will take place in Vilnius (Lithuania) in 2023 thanks to the cooperation between two organizers: the EuChemS Working Party on the History of Chemistry (WPHC), and the Vilnius University.
More details about dates and other information will be given in the following months. Keep in touch by subscribing to the WP Newsletter or visiting the WP website and the 13ICHC website.
8th EuChemS Chemistry Congress Reported
Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, it has been decided that the 8th EuChemS Chemistry Congress (ECC8) initially scheduled for 30 August to 3 September, 2020, is postponed to 2022. ECC8 will still be held in Lisbon, Portugal, from 28 August to 1 September, 2022.
More information is available on the ECC8 website. As a consequence, the ECC9 planned to take place in Dublin will be held in that same city but in 2024.
EuChems 50th Anniversary
2020 will see the European Chemical Society celebrate 50 years since its conception, representing now 51 societies, and by extension some 150,000 chemists eager to play their part in sharing knowledge and advice with the European Union institutions.
Because of the present circumstances of the Covid-19, the birthday celebration will be held online on Friday 3 July 2020, from 10:00 to 11:30 (CEST – Brussels time). An on-site celebration is planned for July 3, 2021, with the award of a EuChemS Historical Landmark plaque to commemorate the founding meeting.
International Symposium «Celebrating D.I. Mendeleev’s Periodic System. A Historical Perspective»
Satellite symposium to XXI Mendeleev Congress, 10-13 September 2019, Saint Petersburg State University.
The XXI Mendeleev Congress is held under the auspices of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC). The symposium is supported by the EuChemS – Working Party on the History of Chemistry, the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, the Mendeleev Russian Chemical Society, the St. Petersburg State University and the Russian Chemists Union.
The Mendeleev Congress traditionally maintains an interdisciplinary program and in the frame of the International Year of the Periodic Table, it is only fitting to have a satellite symposium celebrating the 150th anniversary of the first publication of the D. I Mendeleev’s Periodic System (PS) of the elements. This innovative and ground breaking new way of classification of the elements created the iconic Periodic Table (PT) which under different forms and presentations is still in use in every classroom around the world.
But how did this idea emerge and take form? What is the historical context of the discovery of PS? Who were the chemists involved, besides D.I. Mendeleev? How were the ideas and concepts discussed, criticized or appropriated? How did the core ideas of PS and PT develop through the 150 years that separates us from the initial publications? And how is this universal device used and accommodated for teaching, and research? How did it work in classrooms and textbooks, or appear in more popular culture as an icon of chemistry and science?
The Symposium “Celebrating D.I. Mendeleev’s Periodic System. A Historical Perspective” will gather scholars to tackle these questions pertaining to the historical emergence, development and use of the PS, and the most powerful scientific icon, the PT. While there are still much debates and ongoing discussion about the nature of the PS, the best arrangement of the elements, and the underlying laws that govern such the periodic classification, this symposium will specifically hold a historical perspective. Beyond the story of discovery, and its context, it will also examine the response and the appropriation processes that explain the longevity of this classification across time, space and culture. In particular, this symposium aims at providing space for less discussed topics such as the use of PT in textbooks and the pedagogical context, the presence of the PT in popular culture, and the role of women scientist in the development of the PS/PT.
Prof. Bernadette Bensaude-Vincent, Université Paris 1, Panthéon-Sorbonne, France
Mendeleev’s notion of chemical element: a key actor in the construction of the periodic table
Prof. Helge Kragh, Niels Bohr Institute, Denmark
Astrochemistry, New Elements, and Mendeleev’s Periodic Table
Prof. David E. Lewis, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, USA
Mendeleev, Markovnikov and the Zhurnal Russkago Khimicheskago Obshchestva: Celebrating Three Sesquicentennials
Prof. Martyn Poliakoff, University of Nottingham, England
Mendeleev’s gift to Education
Registration and conference fees:
The participants to the satellite meeting should register at the Mendeleev Congress.
Registration fees for the Mendeleev Congress. The conference fees for the satellite symposium are 250 euros.
In case of problems with the registration or payment, contact Yulia Gorbunova (yulia[at]igic.ras.ru) or Elena Baum-Zaitseva (baumzai[at]mail.ru).
Contact address:
mendcongress.histsymposium[at]gmail.com
Secretary of the symposium: Dr. Elena Baum-Zaitseva
Symposium website: https://hystsymposium.wordpress.com/
12th International Conference in History of Chemistry
The 12ICHC will take place in Maastricht, the Netherlands from 29 July till 2 August, 2019.
The Conference will be hosted by Maastricht University (UM), a young university, founded in 1976, with a very international student population, and a strong research group in Science, Technology and Society (STS), including the history of science and technology. The conference will be sponsored by UM, the Royal Dutch Chemical Society and several other organizations.
The conference programme will include scientific sessions, key-note lectures, the WP business meeting, as well as social events such as excursions, receptions, and a conference dinner banquet. Key-note lectures will be given by Marco Beretta (Bologna University), Carsten Reinhardt (Bielefeld University) and Lissa Roberts (Twente University).
The Steering Organizing Committee consists of Christoph Meinel, Universität Regensburg, and Ignacio Suay-Matallana, Universidad Miguel Hernández (chairs of the committee), Cyrus Mody, Maastricht University (Steering Organizing Committee), Brigitte Van Tiggelen, Science History Institute (chair of the WPHC), and Ernst Homburg, Maastricht University (chair of the Local Organizing Committee).
For more information about session or paper submission, deadlines and practical arrangements can soon be found on: www.ichc2019.org
Contact information for practical questions: ICHC2019MAASTRICHT[at]gmail.com
News from the German Chemical Society
The History Group of the German Chemical Society is proud to announce that its journal “Mitteilungen” is now online and openly accessible. The content of all back issues from 1 (1988) to 24 (2014) is available from the Group’s homepage. Permanent electronic versions of the journal are hosted by the German National Library and linked in the Electronic Journals Library.
In this way the GDCh History of Chemistry Group hopes to improve its service, and to strenghten its ties, to the international community of historians of chemistry. The majority of articles in the “Mitteilungen” is of course in German, but it goes without saying that contributions submitted in English will also be considered for publication.
Christoph Meinel
Managing Editor