Is There a Happy Degrowth in Historical Studies? The Jinan Mall, Chinese Globality and Italian Historiography

Abstract

It comes naturally to historians to put into perspective the scientific conferences they have attended only many years later, after time has made it easier to distinguish between what turns out to be merely contingent and what fits a pattern of development clearly visible with the benefit of hindsight. However, there are good reasons for taking stock of the 2015 Jinan conference before first impressions have completely faded. As on many previous occasions, the Italian Committee has made the decision to publicly review the conference and the role of the Italian participants. In doing so it has followed a well-established tradition that has a lot to commend it. First of all, it provides an opportunity to gather information on what occurred at the conference for the benefit of those who funded the attendance of many of the speakers, at least partially (essentially the tax-payers of this or a later generation). Secondly, from a specifically scientific point of view, it allows those in charge to improve the quality and representativeness of the Italian delegation at the next congress, in Poznan in 2020. Thirdly, it allows a critical assessment of the international trends most visible in Jinan.