8th European Social Science History Conference (ESSHC), 13–16 April, 2010, Ghent, Belgium
Elites Network
Session: Elites and Nation-building Universities after the Second World War
Deadline for proposals: 1 May 2009

Organizers: Dr. Marja Jalava, University of Helsinki (marja.jalava@helsinki.fi) and Dr. Prof. Jussi Välimaa, University of Jyväskylä (jussi.valimaa@ktl.jyu.fi)

The 8th European Social Science History Conference (ESSHC) will be held in Ghent, Belgium, from 13 to 16 April 2010. The ESSHC aims to bring together scholars interested in explaining historical phenomena using interdisciplinary approaches to the study of the past. The conference is characterized by a lively exchange in many small groups, rather than by formal plenary sessions. It is organized in 28 networks, which cover a certain topic. The Elites network of the ESSHC hosts sessions concerning the history of cultural, political, economic and social elites. In the Lisbon ESSHC 2008 the network organised around 20 sessions, with numerous papers from all over.

We invite now paper proposals for the Elites Network session “Elites and Nation-building Universities after the Second World War.” In the postwar Western Countries, the expansion of higher education into a mass system was motivated by its contribution to economic growth, based on the Keynesian doctrine of economic nationalism, as well as by considering it a means of promoting social justice and stability. Since the slogan of the day was the democratization of society, an access to new and lower social groups to enter higher education institutions was opened.

However, all these traditions have been challenged by the emerging neo-liberal understandings of society since the 1980s onwards. Consequently, the nation-building function of universities has been redefined by emphasizing the production of innovations for industry and skillful labor force for the markets. These changes have the potential to change the internal dynamics of universities and to change their relationships with their societies. The trend seems to be the re-introduction of elite institutions and increasing demands to create ‘world-class universities’ in Europe. The introduction of institutional status hierarchies easily translates into demands for more socially selective admission procedures favoring the formation of elite students and that of higher education institutions.

This session seeks to explore the connections between elite formation and nation-building universities. On the one hand, it will focus on the changes which occurred in the postwar decades, and, on the other hand, on recent history. Papers outlining concrete cases as well as elaborating more theoretical approaches are both welcomed. The deadline for proposals is 1 May 2009.

If you want to propose a paper, please fill out the web pre-registration form in: http://www.iisg.nl/esshc/callforpapers2010.php Include an abstract of your paper (100–500 words). If you have trouble registering through the Internet, please contact the Conference Secretariat (esshc@iisg.nl) for an e-mail or paper form. No individual should present more than one paper. However, every participant can act as chair or commentator/discussant in another session in addition to presenting a paper. Notification of acceptances or rejections will occur by July 2009. All participants are required to handle their final registration and payment before 1 December 2009 (a notification will be send in the Fall of 2009).