NETWORK
“Transnational history is not merely an intellectual endeavor, but also, and perhaps even more so, a social one”
Thus argued leading scholars such as Johan Schot and Arne Kaijser in the context of establishing and developing the Tensions of Europe research collaboration. Tackling transnational historiographical themes such as European Integration, but also industrial change, energy system development, or environmental crises, requires transnational teams of researchers—to bring in their respective viewpoints, historical traditions, and archival and language skills, and to challenge tacit ethnocentric assumptions in research project questions and designs.
Since the conclusion of the national history of technology program in the mid 1990s, Eindhoven History Lab forerunners have been increasingly active in working with colleagues in an increasing number of countries, and in establishing, hosting and serving transnational research collaborations.
Notable collaborations:
- Initiating and coordinating the pan-European research network Tensions of Europe. Technology and the Making of Europe in the late 1990s. The network has grown into a warm and innovative research community. Eindhoven History Lab members stil partake in the coordination of the community and its current umbrella research program on Technology and Societal Challenges.
- Since 2017, our in-house Foundation SHT hosts the secretariat, and co-organizes the annual conferences, of the field’s largest international association, the Society for the History of Technology SHOT
- In July 2020, we act as the local organiser of the 2020 Congress of the International Committee for the History of Technology ICOHTEC (theme: a history of technology for an age of crisis). Due to the COVID-19 crisis, this became the field’s first digital international conference experiment.
- In 2020-2025 we host the editorship of the leading history of technology journal Technology and Culture, the SHOT quarterly.
- As of 2020, we also host the editor of ICON, the ICOHTEC journal.
- We host the co-coordinator of the research network nuclear_hss – Humanities and Social Sciences Research on Nuclear Issues
- In the Dutch language area, we participate in the N.W. Posthumus research school for social and economic history, where we co-direct the research program on Globalization, Inequality and Sustainable Development in Long-Term Perspective
SECRETARIAT
The Eindhoven History Lab and the Foundation SHT host the secretariat of the Society for the History SHOT and the Tensions of Europe research community.
SHOT
Since 2017, our in-house Foundation for the History of Technology hosts the secretariat of the Society for the History of Technology SHOT, the largest history of technology association worldwide. Jan Korsten serves as SHOT secretary. The secretariat team is also heavily involved in organizing the SHOT annual conferences.
Tensions of Europe
The pan-European research association Tensions of Europe was founded in a meeting in Eindhoven in 1999.
This association has since grown from a European Science Foundation network of excellence into a warm and innovative research community. Johan Schot and Ruth Oldenziel served as first and long-time ToE Chair and vice-chair, and Jan Korsten as ToE secretary. Later Erik van der Vleuten also served as Chair.
SCHOLARLY JOURNALS
The Eindhoven History Lab hosts the editorship of the international scholarly journals Technology and Culture and ICON.
TECHNOLOGY & CULTURE
Technology and Culture is the quarterly of the Society for the History of Technology SHOT. In 2020-2025 Ruth Oldenziel succeeds Suzanne Moon (University of Oklahoma) as editor-in-chief of this pre-eminent history of technology journal. The first issue prepared by her Eindhoven team is the 2020 July issue.
ICON
ICON is the bi-annual the journal of the International Committee for the History of Technology ICOHTEC. Hermione Giffard serves as editor-in-chief.