Shawn Liu

For the first time in The Footnote’s history, we are spotlighting opportunities for history students to present their research and engage with scholars through upcoming conferences. These events provide invaluable platforms for students to contribute to critical discussions and deepen their academic pursuits through building new networks. Below are some prominent conferences and calls for papers that may be of interest to Georgetown History students!

African Studies Association Conference 2025

Panel: Streets as Living Archives: Bodies, Movement, and Alternative Epistemologies in Urban Africa
Location: Florida, United States

The study of urban Africa presents an ongoing epistemological challenge: how to theorize city life beyond the frameworks inherited from Global North traditions. This panel seeks to explore the ways in which African streets—and the bodies that give them life—serve as crucial yet often overlooked repositories of urban knowledge and theoretical innovation. Scholars interested in this theme are invited to submit abstracts examining movement, embodiment, and alternative epistemologies in African urban spaces.

Submission Details: Interested applicants should submit a 250-word abstract and a short bio to Bankole Wright at bbank015@fiu.edu by March 9, 2025.

43rd Annual Gulf South History and Humanities Conference

Special Theme: Urban Protest and Reform in the Gulf South and Caribbean Basin
Location: New Orleans, Louisiana, October 9-11, 2025

Sponsored by the Gulf South Historical Association, this conference, hosted by Southeastern Louisiana University, welcomes proposals related to the history and culture of the Gulf South, including the U.S. South, Mexico, and territories in Central America and the Caribbean. Special thematic sessions will focus on urban protest and reform movements in the region, making this an excellent opportunity for scholars examining issues of social change, resistance, and historical transformation in these contexts.

Submission Details: Proposals must be submitted electronically by August 8, 2025, to Dr. Keith Finley at keith.finley@selu.edu.

Climate, Environment, Psyche, and History Conference

Location: Grand Valley State University, Grand Rapids, Michigan, October 17-18, 2025

This interdisciplinary conference brings together scholars from the humanities, social sciences, health sciences, and environmental studies to explore how individuals and societies experience environmental trauma. Topics of interest include climate-induced stress, environmental degradation, the health effects of pollution, the psychological impacts of pandemics, and the consequences of militarized environmental destruction.

Submission Details: A 500-word abstract and CV should be sent to Jason Crouthamel at crouthaj@gvsu.edu by June 15, 2025.

Call for Papers: The Vietnam War in World History

Location: Louisville, Kentucky, June 26-29, 2025

This panel, to be presented at the World History Association’s Annual Meeting, seeks papers on the Vietnam War’s global implications, covering themes such as the teaching of the conflict in Vietnam today, revolutionary feminism and anti-war dissent, and the environmental impacts of the war. Young scholars are especially encouraged to submit, and selected papers will contribute to a broader discussion of expanding world history approaches to the region.

Submission Details: Abstracts (format guided by submission guidelines) must be submitted by March 1, 2025, to panel organizer Marc Jason Gilbert at hallgilbert@earthlink.net.

These conferences offer exciting opportunities for students to engage with diverse historical themes and emerging scholarly debates. Whether your interests lie in African urban studies, Gulf South protest movements, environmental history, or the Vietnam War, these events provide spaces to contribute, learn, and connect. 

For more updates on upcoming opportunities, stay tuned to The Footnote!

Image: Oscar Ovalle

Shawn Liu (MAGIC/MSFS) graduated from Northwestern University in Fall 2022 with a major in History and Cognitive Science. Currently enrolled in the MA/MSFS dual degree program at Georgetown, he is interested in Chinese environmental history as well as Sino-American competition and collaboration, with a specific focus on their policies regarding the polar regions. He hopes to enter a doctoral program or enter the public sector working in international development after completing his dual degree at Georgetown. Outside of his career interests, he also enjoys listening to (and occasionally dancing to) classic rock, running, and traveling with his friends!