Call for papers (archived)
Dear colleagues,
We are pleased to invite proposals for the Tenth Norwegian History of Science Conference (NHSC10), which is being organized by NVF – The Norwegian Association for the History of Science, and hosted in Bergen, Norway, 5-7 November 2025.
The theme of the conference is “Science and communication”, and the keynote lectures will be given by Anne Eriksen and Staffan Bergwik.
About the Conference
The Norwegian History of Science Conference brings together scholars working on the history of science, medicine and technology on any theme, topic, or period to discuss historical, epistemological, political, institutional, and ethical issues of relevance to both Scandinavian and international audiences, welcoming researchers of all nationalities at all stages of their careers. The tenth conference in the series coincides with the 200th anniversary of Bergen Museum, the origins of the University of Bergen, and the local organizers extend a special invitation to those involved in history of science taking place at museums and collections.
The first Norwegian Conference on the History of Science was organized in Oslo in 2008 with the aim of establishing a national network for historians of science. Since then, the conference has been hosted biannually in Tromsø, Trondheim, Oslo, and Bergen, and the conference has established itself as a forum for both national and international exchange of ideas and collaboration. At the ninth conference held in Trondheim in 2023, NVF – The Norwegian Association for the History of Science was established to serve as host of the conference.
Theme
The overarching theme of this year’s conference is “Science and communication”, understood broadly. Twenty years ago, James Secord argued for studying science as communication, stressing the ways that ideas and practices were moved from one place to another. Following his call, historians of science have offered detailed studies of communication devices such as newspapers, public talks and demonstrations, movies, radio, and the internet have shaped what and how we know things. Others have studied ways to communicate, display, or store scientific knowledge and objects, for example in museums and collections. In the museum sector there has been an increased tendency to address ethical issues associated with the origins of their collections. Several studies have also offered new insights into who has been deemed the ideal science communicator, as well as how ideas about science audiences have changed. Last, but not least, a growing number of studieshave offered invaluable insights into what knowledge has been deemed not suitable for communication, or what happens when knowledge is produced against the wishes of the scientist.
The examples are not exhaustive. For the tenth Norwegian history of science conference, we invite papers on these topics and more under the heading “science and communication”. Papers and panels on other topics related to the history of science broadly construed are equally welcome, as the conference aims to reflect ongoing activities in the field and continue to provide an important meeting point.
Keynote lectures will be given by Anne Eriksen from the University of Oslo and Staffan Bergwik from Stockholm University. Eriksen will talk about “Bergen Museum 1825. Knowledge for a Public Sphere”, while Bergwik’s lecture has the title “Epochs, trajectories, rhythms: Visions of historical time and scientific knowledge in the 20th century”.
Guide for contributors
Proposals for individual papers, organized sessions, and alternative types of sessions (such as round-tables, workshops, exhibitions or shorter pitching sessions), are welcomed. Ordinary presentations will be scheduled for 20 minutes. No speaker may present in more than one session. Abstracts will be reviewed by the Programme Committee based on their scientific merit and relevance.
Planned session proposals should include:
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- a brief description of the panel’s aims (150 words maximum),
- a session title,
- an individual abstract for each paper in the session (250 words maximum),
- full contact details of the organizer and all speakers (including affiliation/postal address and email addresses),
- details of any specific audiovisual equipment required (beyond PPT).
Individual paper proposal should include:
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- a paper title,
- an abstract (250 words maximum),
- full name and contact details (including affiliation/postal address and email address),
- details of any specific audiovisual equipment required (beyond PPT).
All proposals should be sent as a single electronic document to: historyofscience10@gmail.com.
Please note that in-person attendance is expected. The conference language is English, although limited parts of the program may be in Scandinavian languages.
The deadline for submissions is May 15, 2025.
The conference website is found here: https://nhsc10.w.uib.no. For any queries regarding the conference, please contact: magnus.vollset@uib.no
Best regards,
Annette Lykknes, Head of The Norwegian Association for the History of Science
Magnus Vollset, Head of the local organizing committee