Chatterjee elected on the Executive Committee of the International Committee for the History of Technology
Photograph courtesy of Prof. Peeter Müürsepp, Tallinn University of Technology.
In November 2023, Animesh Chatterjee, MSCA postdoctoral fellow at the Greenhouse, was elected on the Executive Committee of the International Committee for the History of Technology (ICOHTEC).
Animesh’s appointment came after his contribution in the “50th symposium and 55th anniversary” roundtable session in ICOHTEC’s annual conference at Tallinn, Estonia in August 2023. In the discussions on “The Future of History of Technology”, he argued for a rethinking of the place of the discipline in “future-oriented” discussions, especially through introducing the language of emotions and affect, voices from below, and analytical and methodological nuances from anthropology and environmental humanities. He asserted that “there is a certain benefit to shifting our focus; in becoming more truthful and capable of seeing and uncovering new local microstories, we might help rethink and reframe the crises that affect all of humankind.” The discussion will shortly appear in a collective article in ICON with the aim of providing insights into different approaches to the history of technology.
As an early career researcher in the history of technology and environmental humanities, Animesh’s election advances both ICOHTEC’s and the Greenhouse’s efforts to promote scholarship across disciplines, and brings diverse academics and scholarly communities into productive dialogue. “I would like to take both organisations’ aims forward by providing spaces and opportunities for early career researchers to not only develop just their skills but also contribute to discussions on local and global issues of contemporary relevance,” he elaborates. With an eye on utilising existing courses and infrastructure available at both institutions, Animesh is currently planning a themed workshop, and is identifying opportunities to organise a summer or winter school that would enable scholars from environmental humanities and the history of science, medicine and technology to exchange their ideas.