Second Annual Historical Social Sciences Symposium Explores Global and Transnational Perspectives

The University of Chicago Center in Beijing

20th floor, Culture Plaza
No. 59A Zhong Guan Cun Street
Haidian District Beijing 100872

More than 150 scholars, students, and researchers gathered each day at the University of Chicago Center in Beijing for the Second Annual Historical Social Sciences Symposium, held July 8–9 under the theme “Reimagining the World from the Global and Transnational.” Co-organized by the University of Chicago Center in Beijing and the Institute for Advanced Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences at Tsinghua University, the symposium brought together leading scholars from universities across North America, Europe, and Asia to examine major questions in global history, historical sociology, political economy, and transnational studies.

Convened by Yueran Zhang, Nianshen Song, and Yang Zhang, the two-day event featured keynote lectures and thematic panels that explored how historical social science can illuminate the interconnected forces shaping today’s world.

The symposium opened with welcoming remarks by Yueran Zhang and Nianshen Song, who emphasized the importance of crossing disciplinary and national boundaries in historical inquiry. They encouraged participants to rethink established narratives by placing local experiences within broader global and transnational contexts.

The first day began with keynote addresses on global capitalism. Beverly J. Silver (Johns Hopkins University) presented Heat, Stones and Eggs: Analyzing Capitalism as a Complex World-Historical Social System, examining capitalism through the lens of long-term historical transformation and systemic change. Kimberly Kay Hoang (University of Chicago) followed with Spiderweb Capitalism: How Global Elites Exploit Frontier Markets, offering insights into the evolving structures of global finance and elite networks.

A second keynote session shifted attention to states and empires in world history. Peter Fibiger Bang (University of Copenhagen) proposed new approaches to understanding empire beyond traditional Eurocentric frameworks, while Patrick Thaddeus Jackson (American University) explored how authority, political boundaries, and state-building projects have shaped international relations across history.

Afternoon panels examined East Asia as a transnational space and the remaking of states, societies, and peoples across regions. Presentations addressed topics ranging from military modernization and everyday governance in Manchuria to regional development models, wartime diplomacy, transnational crime networks, and cross-border cultural movements. Together, these discussions demonstrated how regional histories are deeply embedded in wider global processes.

The second day focused on science, technology, society, and intellectual exchange. The morning panel on the global frontier of science and technology examined Cold War technology networks, global health, great-power competition, and the politics of digital infrastructure. Speakers highlighted the historical roots of contemporary technological transformations and the growing importance of global technological governance.

Subsequent sessions explored social reproduction, medicine, and everyday life through historical perspectives, covering topics including labor, public health, eugenics, and industrial transformation. Another panel examined revolutionary geography, intellectual history, and socialist internationalism, illustrating how ideas, political movements, and knowledge circulated across national borders.

The symposium concluded with presentations on the global histories of material objects and mobility. Through case studies of construction technologies, agricultural commodities, transportation networks, and environmental interactions, speakers demonstrated how seemingly ordinary objects reveal broader patterns of global exchange, imperial expansion, and knowledge production.

Throughout the symposium, discussions emphasized the value of integrating history, sociology, political science, and area studies to better understand global transformations. Participants engaged in lively exchanges during question-and-answer sessions, coffee breaks, and informal discussions, reflecting the symposium’s commitment to fostering interdisciplinary dialogue and international collaboration.

In the closing session, Nianshen Song and Yang Zhang reflected on the breadth of perspectives presented over the two days and emphasized the importance of continuing conversations that bridge disciplines, regions, and historical traditions. They expressed their appreciation to the speakers, participants, and organizers for contributing to another successful symposium.

With more than 150 attendees participating each day, the Second Annual Historical Social Sciences Symposium further strengthened the University of Chicago Center in Beijing’s role as a platform for international scholarly exchange. By bringing together researchers working across diverse disciplines and geographic regions, the symposium fostered new conversations about how global and transnational perspectives can reshape the study of history and the social sciences.