The International Convention of Asia Scholars (ICAS) 2019 took place at the University of Leiden on 16-20 July 2019. Amal Shahid, an International History PhD student, submitted a proposal for an Institutional Panel to represent the Department of International History and share the dissertations in progress. The proposal was one of the very few Institutional Panels selected for the conference. The panel was based on the broad theme ‘Institutions of Imperial Domination’ and the papers included in the panel discussed how labour, financial, educational and political institutions shaped Asian societies. Four students from the Department of International History presented papers from their thesis: Joshua Thew, Thomas Gidney, Amal Shahid, and Jiajia Liu. This allowed for a comparative analysis of three countries, in particular India, China and Iran. The panel was chaired by Professor Cyrus Schayegh.

The conference had an attendance of approximately two thousand scholars from around the world and featured a range of panels and roundtable discussions. The panels were interdisciplinary in nature and showcased research employing a range of methodologies and topics. Not all scholars were based in academia, which made for more nuanced discussions and feedback. The presenters received individual feedback from Professor Schayegh, as well as interesting questions from the audience and panelists.  

This institutional panel permitted the PhD students to engage with research concerning different themes in a number of Asian countries. Moreover, it provided the perfect opportunity to network with prominent scholars in the field, not only in panels, but also through coffee and lunch sessions. They also received comprehensive information on academic opportunities with ICAS and other European departments and organisations with a concentration in Asia.

Papers and Panel:

'Institutions of Imperial Domination'

Thomas Pierre Gidney: ‘An anomaly among anomalies’: India in the League of Nations and the Third British Empire.

Amal Shahid: Re‘constructing’ Labour Relations: Modified Labour Institutions in Famine-Relief-based work in Colonial India c.1870-1914

Jiajia Liu: The Early History of the Financial Capitalism in Shanghai: The Shanghai Stock Exchange as a New Type of Financial Institution in Late Qing Dynasty

Joshua Thew: Near East Foundation’s rural education programs in Iran during the Cold War