Rules and Procedures for IAHR Special Conferences

The IAHR holds a world congress every five years. In between the five year congresses, the IAHR sponsors at least one conference a year during which the Executive Committee or its officers can hold annual business meetings and the International Committee can meet (usually) triennially. Because the IAHR has increased its membership considerably, there is a growing wish among member societies to hold IAHR-sponsored events. 

A special conference usually focuses on a special theme with participation by local scholars and a number of invited scholars from other countries.

IAHR-sponsored events are hosted and run by one or more national societies of the IAHR. The right to use the IAHR-designation involves a number of conditions depending on the country and the event. But for all IAHR events, it is required that attempts are made by the hosting association to cover the travel and living expenses of at least two key people from countries with weak currencies. Such people are usually members of the IAHR Executive Committee or are executives of an IAHR national society. Any participating representative of the IAHR should be allowed time to speak about the IAHR and its activities.

It is further recommended that wherever possible attention be paid to gender balance in terms of speakers as well as of participants.

It is also required that the General Secretary be kept informed about developments and provided with conference programs and the address list of the participants. If possible, 12 free copies of any publications resulting from the event should also be provided as well.

If the Executive Committee decides to hold its annual meeting during the event, there will be the need to coordinate this part of the program with the General Secretary. Other conditions are subject to negotiation.

In return, the IAHR-sponsored conference organizers can expect an IAHR presence (at least one or two Executive Committee members), coverage of the event in the IAHR Bulletin, possible access to IAHR avenues of publication such as NUMEN and Supplements to NUMEN, and, in cases where the hosting country has currency problems, publication subsidy in one form or another. Furthermore, publication of the proceedings must be consistent with the IAHR congress publication policy.