Les sciences et les idées de l'Europe

Sciences and the ideas of Europe: Geographies, temporalities and actors


Call for papers



we are happy to share with you a call for papers for a panel session on "Sciences and the ideas of Europe: Geographies, temporalities and actors" at the upcoming Joint Meeting of the European Society for the History of Science (ESHS) and the History of Science Society (HSS), to be held in Edinburgh, UK, 13–16 July 2026.


This panel aims to explore the relation between the sciences and ideas of and about Europe in historical context.


With the emergence of international conferences and international organisations in the 19th century, internationalism has established itself as an enduring facet of scientific activity. Steeped in Enlightenment understandings of humanism, the putatively universal nature of scientific knowledge makes the sciences a facilitator of peaceful international cooperation across all boundaries, cultural, political, religious, etc. – or so the story goes in a naïve understanding of scientific internationalism. Likewise, ideas of European cooperation emerging from the 19th century onward have adopted a similarly internationalist mission. The federalist aspirations of pro-Europeans during the interwar and postwar period and the establishments of the institutions of the European communities can be seen as examples of this.

Despite the large body of scholarship on the history of scientific internationalism, very little attention has hitherto been given to the place that ideas of and about Europe have played in scientific activity, even though there exist clear parallels – both chronological and geographical – between the two developments sketched above. In fact, the historicity of the idea of Europe itself, and its various delineation to East and West, North and South, civilized or not, have not been discussed within history of science. This is all the more surprising given that, since the postwar period and the development of European integration, the continent has seen the creation of a plethora of ‘European’ scientific organisations, such as CERN or ESA, and that the EU has adopted science and technology as one of its key policy remits.

We welcome contributions that analyse the relation between the sciences and ideas of Europe through different actors or institutions, geographies and temporalities. Did scientists, and physical philosophers before them, think about Europe, and if so how? How was Europe differentiated with the West, if at all, and how were these delineations promoted, used or endured by scientists? Did the envisioned relations between the sciences and Europe differ across space, or over time? Were there connections between scientists and pro-European movements, and what purpose did these serve? Conversely, were understandings of science enlisted in the political construction of an (idealised) Europe?

If you would like to participate in the panel, please send a prospective title as well as a short abstract (max. 200 words) of your contribution to l.t.forgiarini@uu.nl or ktampakis@eie.gr.

The deadline for submission is 21 November 2025.