On May 16, the Press Conference for 100 Days Countdown of the 22nd Congress of ICHS was held on the Central Campus of Shandong University (SDU), to announce the preparations of the Congress. Up to now, a total of nearly 1,800 people from 79 countries and regions have registered for the Congress, which will be the first time in the history of the International Congress of Historical Science that so many countries have been represented.

　　The International Congress of Historical Sciences started in 1900. Being the most influential academic activity of historical sciences, it enjoys the reputation of “the Olympics of Historical Sciences”. The International Committee of Historical Sciences (ICHS) or le International Committee of Historical Sciences (CISH) has been founded in Geneva on May 15, 1926.

　　Prof. Zhang Rong, Director of the 22nd ICHS Organizing Committee, SDU, President of SDU, Prof. Zhang Haipeng, President of the Association of Chinese Historians, Prof. Tao Wenzhao, Assessor Member of the ICHS Board, Prof. Wang Jian Lang, Secretary-general of the Association of Chinese Historians, Chen Shaomin, Vice Director of the General Office of the People’s Government of Shandong Province, Shao Jing, Director of Counselors’ Office of the People’s Government of Shandong Province, Prof. Chen Yan, Vice President of SDU, and Cao Shengyuan, Chief Accountant of SDU, Vice Director of the 22nd ICHS Organizing Committee, SDU, were all presented at the Press Conference.

　　Zhang Rong, Zhang Haipeng, Tao Wenzhao, Chen Shaomin, and Ma lihong, Vice- Mayor of Liaocheng Municipal Government, together started the liquid crystal ball for the 100 Days Countdown of the 22nd Congress of ICHS.

　　“This Congress will be an excellent opportunity to promote Chinese culture to the world,” Zhang Rong said in his speech.

　　Zhang stated that since August 2010, when the International Committee of Historical Sciences voted to reward the joint organizing right of the 22nd International Congress of Historical Sciences to the Association of Chinese Historians and Shandong University, SDU has actively communicated with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and CISH to establish the principles of organizing the Congress. They are as follows: to insist on academic leadership, fully manifesting the academic level of the Congress; to respect the Congress’s tradition, with an open and rational attitude to organize it; to adhere to first-class standards, and plan multiple related programs, to create an effective platform for international exchange; to be thrifty and hardworking, and seek practical results for the Congress.

　　“According to the above principles, SDU Organizing Committee has already made a detailed plan for the Congress, and formed a working pattern to implement the plan with the backing of the whole university, so that all aspects of preparatory work are underway in an orderly manner,” he added.

　　SDU Organizing Committee believes this conference will certainly be able to fully present to the Chinese and foreign historians from all over the world a good image of Jinan, the host city and also a historically and culturally famous city, and show them hospitality of Jinan, as well as the long cultural background of SDU.

　　“Shandong University made in-depth and detailed conference preparations and laid a good foundation for the Congress 100 days from now,” Zhang Haipeng remarked in his speech.

　　“This is the first time the Congress has been held in Asia in more than 100 years, which will be significant to Jinan, to Shandong, and to China,” he said, “This 22nd Congress embodies the internationalization of ICHS; 79 countries and regions will attend the Congress, setting a new record for the Congress.

　　“The 22nd International Congress of Historical Sciences (ICHS) held in Jinan should be a huge event: a historiographical turning point and a great historic event,” Prof. Robert Frank, Secretary of CISH, stated in his message of congratulations, “On the historiographical ground, the Congress will show how successful the recent efforts of the historians have been to avoid Eurocentrism or to escape from research too much centered on the Western point of view.”

　　“This Congress will show how successful their attempt to promote global history and transnational history has been; this global and transnational turn will be very well represented in the program of the Jinan Congress,” he added.

　　Chen Shaomin praised the efforts made by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Association of Chinese Historians, and Shandong University as well as Shandong Academy of Social Sciences and Association of Shandong Historians for their conference preparations, and expressed his hope that the relevant departments will earnestly cooperate with each other to promote high quality and high standards for the Congress in their remaining 100 days’ effort.

　　On behalf of volunteers serving at the Congress, volunteer representative Dong Xiaofei expressed the intention that the volunteers will whole-heartedly serve the historians from all over the world and make the Congress more colorful with the volunteers’ beautiful smiles.

　　There were three academic seminars after the Press Conference, hosted separately by Prof. Fang Hui, Dean of the School of History and Culture at SDU, Prof. Wang Jianlang, Secretary-general of Association of Chinese Historians, and Prof. Wang Yuji from the School of History and Culture at SDU. During these seminars, scholars exchanged ideas on experiences and thoughts of attending the previous conferences, the process of China’s bid to host the Congress, and the significance of the 22nd ICHS being held in China. Furthermore, they also offered proposals to the 22nd ICHS involving the conference theme, the organizing principles, the publicity work and other detailed issues.

　　Written by Jing Zizhao

　　Photoed by Liu Mengdong