The 4th Congress ofthe Asian Association of World Historians
Osaka, 5-6 January 2018
AAWH 4th International Conference“Creating World Histories from Asian Perspectives”
Date: Saturday, 5th –Sunday, 6th January 2019
Venue: Nakanoshima-Center, Osaka University, Japan

Welcome to Osaka University!
In October 2014, Osaka University,on the initiative of its President,
established the Institute for OpenandTransdisciplinary

Research

Initiatives (OTRI). ‘Global history’
becameoneofnine

principal

research areas incorporated in thisnew organizational framework. The
global history division proposes toexplore, among others, ‘global history’ from Asian perspectives through interdisciplinary
research embracing a wide range of academic fields: history, international relations,
economics, the arts and social sciences, and cultural studies. In addition, Osaka University candraw on a wide range of expertise in area studies and Asian studies which it inherited fromthe previous Osaka University of Foreign Studies. The global history division consists of threeresearch groups focusing on: (a) the supra-regional history of networks and interactions inancient Central Eurasia and early-modern maritime Asia; (b) the micro-history of medieval
Kansai (Japan) and modern China; and (c) global economic history and the Modern World
System. As the host of the 4th AAWH conference at Osaka University, the Osaka research groupwill build on these academic foundations.
At the turn of the second millennium in 2000, new research trends in world andglobal history attracted increasing attention, mainly focusing on the reevaluation of Asia’sposition in the world. Two studies have given a strong impetus to the so-called ‘global turn’:Angus Maddison, The World Economy: a millennial perspective (OECD, 2001), and, in aAAWH 4th International Conference

1The 4th Congress ofthe Asian Association of World Historians
Osaka, 5-6 January 2018

provocative manner, Kenneth Pomeranz, The Great Divergence—China, Europe, and theMaking of the Modern World Economy (Princeton, 2000). The publication of these two books
led to the reconsideration of the ‘early-modern period’ or the ‘long eighteenth century’ basedon reciprocal comparisons between Europe and Asia. Nonetheless, the exchange of views
between experts of ‘global history’ and ‘local’ histories is still limited. Even after the ‘California
School’ presented revisionist views challenging the Eurocentrism of the received approaches
to globalism, the latter continued to adhere to an analysis along the lines of an East-Westbinary.
In the last ten years since the establishment of AAWH at Tianjin/Osaka, theassociation has continued to explore new interpretations of world and global histories fromAsian perspectives. As stated in the AAWH Charter at its foundation, ‘the concepts andmethods of world/global history differ considerably from country to country in this region’.
We still need more time before we can present a grand alternative vision and interpretationof world and global history from Asian perspectives. However, the Osaka conference willserve to explore and present new interpretations based on trans-regional or trans-nationalanalyses. This framework combines a vertical historical perspective of the longue-durée fromthe ancient to the contemporary period with a horizontal analysis encompassing a range of
specific regional studies beyond the purview of national histories.
The conference is anchored by three plenary lectures by distinguished Asian historians.
Prof. Li presents an analysis of Central and Eastern Eurasian history based on the study of
global economic history. Prof. Mitani reconsiders the historical significance of the Meiji
Revolution on the occasion of its 150th anniversary, and Prof. Mukherjee examines themodern and contemporary development of the world economy and globalization fromperspectives of the ‘Global South’. These keynote lectures together with 17 large panels and
30 individual papers promise to offer valuable insights and perspectives for creating world
and global histories from Asian perspectives.
By drawing on the expertise of our participants, the AAWH Osaka conference will explore
perspectives on a long historical period from ancient to contemporary times within a transregional framework. In doing so, the conference hopes to promote the study of world andglobal histories from Asian perspectives.

AAWH 4th International Conference

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The 4th Congress ofthe Asian Association of World Historians
Osaka, 5-6 January 2018

In addition, our aim is to make a lasting contribution to society by collaborating withsenior high-school teachers and journalists in view of reforming world history education in
Japan and Asia through the publication of several text books. Collaborations with prominentsenior-high school teachers are arguably the most promising outreach activities that allow
historians to demonstrate the usefulness of their research for society.
President of Asian Association of World Historians (AAWH)
Professor of Global History,
Graduate School of Letters, Osaka University, Japan
Shigeru AKITA 

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