Conference Overview
For the past six years, doctoral students in the International History Department of the London School of Economics have convened a conference to welcome new students to the programme. We are happy to announce that the tradition will continue this year, with a PhD workshop scheduled for the 28th and 29th of September. It combines academic training in areas such as archival research, methodology and publishing with academic presentations.

We are all aware that PhD life is somewhat unique, and that new doctoral students experience significant lifestyle changes. Our purpose is to help new students prepare for the next three to four years so that these changes are as smooth as possible for them. With this in mind, the theme of this year’s conference is ‘transitions’.

‘Transitions’ are critical to the endeavours of the historian. Historiography is never static. Historians constantly introduce new perspectives, research methodologies, and subfields to the discipline.Moreover, transitions are very often the subject of our study. They are particularly relevant at present with revolution and regime change in the Middle East, crises in the Eurozone and the upcoming 2012 US Presidential election.

Guidelines for papers and proposals
Inspired by contemporary events, the conference is historical in focus. We welcome proposals for papers on political, economic and cultural transitions in history such as those related to:
· Revolution and war

· Elections or regime change
· The formation or end of empires
· Nation-building
· Military occupation
· Power shifts
· Neoliberalism
· Cultural imperialism or transmission
· Cultural diplomacy

Proposals may also relate to historiographical trends or methodological transition, particularly those of special relevance to current historiography, such as:
· Multi-archival research
· Interdisciplinarity
· The cultural turn
· Transnational history

This is a non-exhaustive list, however, and we encourage applicants to submit proposals on other subjects related to the central theme of ‘transitions’.

Panellists will be asked to deliver a 15-minute presentation on a paper of around 3000 words. Presentations will be followed by a 20-minute questions and answers session, which panellists will be asked to contribute to. Proposals should be approximately 300 words, and should be submitted by email to Simon Toner(s.toner@lse.ac.uk) or Yu Suzuki (y.suzuki3@lse.ac.uk) by the 31st July 2012. Proposals should include a working title. Participants will be notified of our decision by the middle of August 2012, and will be asked to submit their paper before the 10th September 2012. As the conference is being organised by students for students, we regret that we will be unable to contribute to travel and other costs incurred in attending the conference. However, we feel that this is an excellent opportunity for students to present and think critically about their research in an informal and relaxed forum, and hope that this will be adequate remuneration!