Category: news

New Year’s Greetings from the ICOHTEC President

As we begin a new year, we are pleased to share the New Year’s message from the ICOHTEC President, Dr. Nelson Arellano-Escudero:

“As we embrace the spirit of new beginnings around the world, let’s celebrate the rich diversity of cultures and traditions that mark this special time. On January 1st, we joyfully welcome the Gregorian New Year, wishing everyone joy and prosperity in the year ahead. As we approach the festive celebrations of Chinese New Year, since February 17, may the Year of the Horse bring you dynamic change, passion, and opportunity for bold actions and new beginnings.
For those celebrating Rosh Hashaná past September 22-24, we wish you a sweet and fulfilling new year during the days of Tishri. As Diwali lights up our lives in 20th October, may the Festival of Lights illuminate your path with joy and prosperity. Embracing the Islamic New Year during Muharram, June, may this season bring peace and blessings to you and your loved ones.
The Thai New Year, celebrated through the joyful water festivities of Songkran from April 13 to 15, invites us to wash away our worries and welcome renewal. Similarly, as we celebrate Thingyan in April, may your new year be filled with happiness and joy. On October 31, as we honor the Celtic New Year (Samhain), let us reflect on the past and eagerly welcome the future. Lastly, during the Cambodian New Year in April, may your celebrations be joyful and bright.
In South America and Polynesia, as part of the southern hemisphere, the first nations celebrated their new years with the winter solstice last July: Wiñol Tripantu (Mapuche), Inti Raymi (Andean people), Aringa ora o koro (Rapa Nui).
Wherever you are and whatever culture you celebrate the New Year with, while the Northern Hemisphere has experienced its longest night and the Southern Hemisphere its shortest, the planet keeps turning. Our thoughts are with all those who passed away, and also with those who suffer the worst consequences of violence and deserve justice in so many places around the world. From the history of technology, we wish that peace and brotherhood will prevail.

Dr. Nelson Arellano-Escudero
President ICOHTEC”

ICOHTEC Newsletter No. 226 (December 2025) is out — our most substantial issue yet

The new ICOHTEC Newsletter (No. 226, December 2025) marks a clear step forward in both scope and format: a richly curated, 77-page “digest” designed not just for quick scanning, but for a relaxed, holiday-style read.

What’s new is the breadth and editorial ambition. Alongside core ICOHTEC updates, the issue brings together interviews, themed features, and carefully organised resource sections—creating a genuinely interdisciplinary panorama of the history of technology community and its conversations.

Highlights include:

  • ICOHTEC 2026: the Call for Papers for the 53rd Annual Meeting in Alexandroupolis (Greece), 8–11 October 2026, plus an interview with the Programme Committee Chair.

  • Voices from the community: an interview with Martino Davide, recipient of the ICOHTEC Turriano Prize.

  • ICON (Journal of ICOHTEC): a special issue call on “Plastic Environments”, along with updates on the current issue and a “throwback” feature.

  • Research in action: a detailed report on MoPRA 2025 and its outcomes, bridging heritage, controversy, and public engagement around plastics.

  • A stronger “what’s next” section: expanded Funding & Job Opportunities and Calls for Papers, spanning topics from digital waste and sustainability to green transitions and beyond.

  • In the Loop: fresh items on podcasts, courses, and digital humanities resources—perfect for browsing between commitments.

You can read the full issue on the ICOHTEC website:https://www.icohtec.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Icohtec_Newsletter_226_December-2025.pdf

Call for Papers | 2026 Baltic Conference on the History and Philosophy of Science (Riga)

The 2026 Baltic Conference on the History and Philosophy of Science invites paper proposals for the theme “Making and Remaking Science.” The conference explores how science has been made, remade, and transformed in the Baltics across different political regimes and historical periods—while giving special attention to the post–Second World War restructuring of science under Soviet rule, and to comparative perspectives from the wider Baltic Sea region (including the Nordic countries).

We welcome contributions on how scientific knowledge, practices, and communities have been reshaped through political change, institutional reorganization, and shifting ideological frameworks, across the natural sciences, medicine, applied sciences, and the humanities.

Key information

  • Location: Riga, Latvia

  • Dates: 10–12 June 2026

  • Abstract length: up to 2000 characters

  • Submission deadline: 15 February 2026

  • Submission format: online (Google Form – see the full PDF)

  • Registration opens: 15 March 2026

Full details and the submission link are available in the complete CFP PDF (link below).

Call for Papers BCHPS 2026

Call for Papers — ICON Special Issue “Plastic Environments”

ICON (ICOHTEC’s peer-reviewed journal) is preparing a special issue titled “Plastic Environments” and invites paper proposals exploring plastics and their environmental, social, economic, and cultural dimensions from historical perspectives.

We welcome contributions across a wide range of topics, including (but not limited to) plastic production and recycling, consumer cultures, intended and unintended impacts, and heritage/museum contexts.

Submission: Please send a 300–400 word abstract + short CV by 5 January 2026.
Contact (guest editors): Florian Bettel and Stefan Poser.

📎 The official CFP is attached for full details and guidelines:

cfp icon plastic environments 2025-final

Icohtec 2026 Conference Website Now Online

We are pleased to announce that the official website for the Icohtec 2026 conference is now online and available to the public.

The webpage includes initial information about next year’s conference and will be updated regularly with further details in the coming months.

We encourage the Icohtec community to visit the site and stay informed about upcoming news regarding the programme, participation details, and practical information.

Official website: https://icohtec2026.hs.duth.gr/

Annual Meeting 2026 1st Announcement CfP

53rd ICOHTEC Annual Meeting – First Announcement

Alexandroupolis, Greece | 8–11 October 2026
Theme: Engaging the History of Technology: Bridging Disciplines and Perspectives for Global Challenges

The International Committee for the History of Technology (ICOHTEC) announces its 53rd Annual Meeting, hosted by the Democritus University of Thrace, in collaboration with the Laboratory of Technologies, Research & Applications in Education and the Ethnological Museum of Thrace.

The 2026 conference explores how the history of technology can illuminate today’s global challenges—climate change, environmental injustice, political polarization, and artificial intelligence—by connecting historical, cultural, ethical, and technological perspectives.

Scientific Themes

Contributions may address topics such as:

  • The movement of technologies, experts, and knowledge across borders.

  • Methodological and interdisciplinary innovations in the history of technology.

  • Intersections with social, cultural, economic, environmental, and political history.

  • Museum practices, material and intangible heritage, and public engagement.

Submission Formats

  • Paper presentations (up to 350 words)

  • Panel sessions (400-word panel abstract + later individual abstracts)

  • Roundtables (description of topic + participants’ bios)

  • Graduate and early-career opportunities, including lightning talks, mentoring, and workshops

Important Dates

  • Abstract submission opens: 15 December 2025

  • Deadline: 31 January 2026

More information

Website: https://icohtec2026.hs.duth.gr


Email: icohtec2026@gmail.com

 

Official and extended Call for Paper:

ICOHTEC 2026 conference_Greece_1st announcement

Railways 200

I share to all Icohtec friends and colleagues this email of Mike Esbester about an interesting initiative at JTH (Journal of Trasport History) to celebrate the 200 years anniversary of the inauguration of the first steam-hauled passenger railways journey:

Dear all,
Hope you’re well. Earlier in the year we put together a virtual collection of 17 JTH articles, focused on Britain’s railways, marking ‘Railway 200’, the 200th anniversary of the first steam-hauled passenger railway journey on the Stockton and Darlington Railway.
We’ve worked with Sage to give free access to the collection over two periods – the second of which starts tomorrow, and runs 3-10 November. This coincides with the T2M conference.
Do please share widely, particularly in this period when they’re free to access – we want people to read them! We’ve tried to take a broad view of the articles – whilst focusing on British railways, we’ve included international connections, for example, and considered whose voices we hear in the articles.
The collection is available here.
If you are sharing on social media and other platforms, feel free to use #Railway200, which is being widely used at the moment. Also, do tag the JTH in on any channels you use where the JTH has a presence:
Instagram
Bluesky
Threads
Facebook
Mastodon
All the best, and thanks in advance,
Mike

Call for submission to the Icohtec Newsletter

The Icohtect Newsletter welcomes submissions from scholars and practitioners in relevant fields. Contributions may include event announcements, descriptions of ongoing projects, reflections, or news items of interest. We also invite short blog-style essays (up to 800 words). The aim of the Newsletter is to keep members and affiliates informed about current developments and emerging discussions in the field.
Submissions should be sent to:
Anna Batzeli
Newsletter Editor
abatzeli@he.duth.gr