The 53rd International Congress of the History of Technology will take place in Alexandroupolis (Greece) on the 8-11 October 2026, at the Democritus University of Thrace, in collaboration with the Laboratory of Technologies, Research & Applications in Education/ School of Humanities and the Ethnological Museum of Thrace in Alexandroupolis, Greece.
The theme of this conference, “Engaging the History of Technology”, invites critical reflections on how history of technology can engage with evolving methodologies, theories and pedagogies, and other branches of historical study to demonstrate that understanding technologies’ pasts are essential to navigating contemporary challenges. The conference, therefore, seeks contributions across spatial and epistemic boundaries: from the everyday and local to the geopolitical and planetary; from archival practice to classroom teaching and public engagement; and from discipline-specific research methods to interdisciplinary collaborations.
Contributors may engage with one or more of the following themes, or even suggest new ways of thinking about:
1. The History of Technology between the Local, the Regional, and the Global:
2. History of Technology, Historiography and Education:
3. Intersections between the History of Technology and Other Fields of Historical Study:
4. Special Focus: Museums, Material and Intangible Cultural Heritage, and Public Engagement:
Given our collaboration with the Ethnological Museum of Thrace, we particularly welcome proposals that engage with material and intangible culture, museum practices, and public history. We are interested in innovative session formats that:
We welcome proposals in the following formats:
▪Paper presentations: Individual and author teams’ presentations. Please, submit an abstract of up to 350 words.
▪Panel Sessions: Thematically coherent sessions of 3-4 papers. Panel organisers should submit a panel abstract (up to 400 words) describing the theme and its significance; after approval the conference committee and the panel organisers will issue a specific call for proposals (individual or author teams’ paper abstracts up to 350 words each).
▪Roundtables: Discussion-based sessions with 4-6 participants addressing a specific question or debate. Organisers should submit a description of the topic and format (up to 350 words); names and brief bios of participants (up to 100 words each); key questions to be addressed.
Graduate Student and Early Career Opportunities
ICOHTEC is committed to supporting emerging scholars. We particularly welcome submissions from graduate students and early career researchers. The conference will feature:
Submissions of abstracts through the conference website: https://icohtec2026.hs.duth.gr
Opening: 15 December 2025
Deadline: 31 January 2026
Email address: icohtec2026@gmail.com
