Created in 2013, the Center for International History was housed within the Department of History at Columbia University. It provided a forum for discussion and to foster historical perspectives on international issues of contemporary intellectual concern. It drew upon the collective intellectual resources, not only of the faculty and graduate students of the Department of History, but also of scholars from anthropology, political science, sociology, law and other adjacent fields as well as policy-makers, journalists and other practitioners. Its founders’ aim was to feature speakers and events that transcended or transformed the public/academic divide and which critically engaged with the production and consumption of historical knowledge across divisions of class, race and gender in our global communities.

Since Fall 2024, the center has entered a new phase with the launch of the International, Global, and Transnational History Workshop. This initiative has allowed us to explore a wide range of topics crossing continents – from North America to South Asia, via Africa and Europe – and addressing themes such as consumption, business, politics, gender, and culture. Some papers have clearly fallen into international, transnational, or global frameworks, while many have occupied the spaces in between. Indeed, much of the workshop’s richness – and its challenge – lies in grappling with what these categories mean in practice, all within a spirit of generosity, curiosity, and camaraderie among participants.

Events are generally held in Fayerweather 411, 1180 Amsterdam Avenue, New York.