EH.N: CfP: Asia-Pacific Economic & Business History Conference 2009

[Pierre van der Eng]

Asia-Pacific Economic and Business History Conference 2009
Theme: Asia-Pacific in International Economy and Business
18-20 February 2009, Tokyo (Japan)
Hosted by: Gakushuin University
Organisation: Economic History Society of Australia and New Zealand
Call for papers: http://www.uow.edu.au/commerce/econ/ehsanz/

Papers and proposals for sessions are invited for the 2009 APEBH 
conference. The conference theme is "Asia-Pacific in International 
Economy and Business," around which the conference programme 
committee expects to organise a number of sessions. As at past 
conferences, the 2009 APEBH programme committee welcomes 
contributions on other topics in economic, social, and business 
history. Early career researchers are encouraged to participate. 
Researchers across a range of disciplines are warmly welcomed, 
including economists and historians of economic thought, business, 
society and management, as well as archivists. The conference 
organisers are particularly interested in attracting papers that 
examine developments within the Asia-Pacific region (broadly defined) 
and/or papers that provide an international comparative perspective.

The conference theme provides ample opportunities to explore and 
discuss historical research that has implications for ongoing 
discussion on current topical issues. Arguably, current discussions 
about processes of economic and business integration across East Asia 
and Australasia tend to suggest that this is a recent phenomenon. 
Such discussions are often insufficiently informed by historical 
studies, which suggest that economic integration across the 
Asia-Pacific region and in parts of the region is actually a 
recurrence of integration tendencies that flourished before World War 
II. In many cases these tendencies stalled in the aftermath of World 
War II, when many countries opted to pursue more inward-looking 
development paths, until recent decades when countries embraced more 
outward-looking paths of development. 

What drove the processes of economic and business integration before 
and after World War II? What roles did private enterprises and the 
internationalisation of their investment play? What role did 
bilateral political relations or even regional organisations play? 
Did sub-regions set examples in the integration process that other 
countries followed? Is the integration process in recent decades 
essentially different from earlier processes? Were there significant 
differences in integration across industrial sectors; commodities, 
manufacturing industries and services? Were there differences between 
product and factor markets? What was the role of distant markets in 
e.g. North America and Europe?

Paper abstracts of one page may be submitted to the address below at 
any time up to 30th November 2008. A decision on proposals will be 
made within a month of submission. Session proposals of one page may 
be submitted up to the same date, outlining the main objectives of 
the session. Written papers must be submitted by 15 January 2009. 
There will be a refereed paper section for those interested.

A conference paper prize will be awarded, and a selection of papers 
(subject to review) will be published in the Australian Economic 
History Review.

Further details about the conference can be found at the web page of 
the Economic History

Society of Australia and New Zealand: 
http://www.uow.edu.au/commerce/econ/ehsanz/

Please send abstracts and session proposals to Dr Jim McAloon, Human 
Sciences Division, Lincoln University, PO Box 84 Canterbury, NEW 
ZEALAND. Email: mcaloonj at lincoln.ac.nz