At its congress on May 14, 1926, the Comité international des sciences historiques (CISH, the International Committee of Historical Sciences) held its General Assembly in the presence of 41 delegates from national committees and affiliated organisations. The General Assembly of the Comité elected a new Board, and Prof. Dr. hab. Joanna Wojdon, the President of the ISHD became a Member of the Board of the CISH. See more on this news here.
“Mohács 500” Hungarian – Turkish Students’ Dialogue
A closing conference and a book launch of “Mohács 500 Dialogue Project” was held on July 30, 2026 at the MCC Budapest headquarters. Rather than promoting a single historical narrative, the project encouraged Hungarian and Turkish students to compare sources, exchange perspectives, and examine how cultural and national backgrounds influence historical memory. The event involved Dr. Milán Constantinovits, MCC’s Director of Professional and Educational Affairs, Ahmet Cem Durak, Lecturer at TEV İnanç, and Dr. János Setényi, Director of the Learning Institute. Read a detailed account on the event, written by Dr. Richárd Fodor as Member of the ISHD, here.
Siena Recommendations on Contested Histories
On June 19, 2026, the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities launched The Siena Recommendations on Contested Histories and National Minorities, informed in part by EuroClio’s Contested Initiative. The guidelines offer practical advice for easing tensions over disputed historical narratives, monuments, and history education across OSCE states.
ISHD President’s Letter June 2026
Please find ISHD’s President’s letter here.
Online webinar
Online webinar Historical thinking in upper secondary education… presented by Dr. Marjolein Wilke is held on July 8, 2026. See the details of the event in the leaflet attached.
Issue 46/2025 of the IJHEC
The new issue of the International Journal of History Education and Culture (IJHEC), the official journal of our Society, has just been published on a brand new platform with a brand new outline. https://ejournals.eu/en/journal/ijhec/volumes-and-issues
History Education and the Truth Problem
History Education and the Truth Problem by Terry Haydn
“With misinformation and distorted versions of the past gaining dangerous traction worldwide, it is crucial that students and adults can discern between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ history and make accurate and well-founded judgements on contemporary issues and problems. This timely book explores the concept of truth in the discipline of history and argues that history education must evolve to combat the post-truth crisis.
The book examines how recent changes in society and in technology have had a disruptive influence on both the writing of history and on its consumption and use and the consequences of this for the health and vitality of societies worldwide. It considers how history education might address the truth problem more effectively, so students understand how knowledge is constructed, questioned and deployed and can make intelligent and rational decisions about what to believe both about the past and the present.”
History Education Dissertation Prize
History Education Dissertation Prize awarded to Marjolein Wilke (KU Leuven)
During the EuroClio annual conference in Brussels, the History Education Dissertation Prize was awarded for the first time. The prize is an initiative of EuroClio in collaboration with the International Society of History Didactics (ISHD), the Centre for Historical Culture at Erasmus University Rotterdam, the History Educators International Research Network (HEIRNET) and International Research Association for History and Social Science Education (IRAHSSE). It is awarded to doctoral thesis that in the view of history educators has the most practical use to them. The final decision was made by registered participants of the EuroClio conference who voted on the animations based on three dissertations shortlisted by the jury: Robbert-Jan Adriaansen (Erasmus University), Denise Bentrovato (IRAHSSE), Tim Huijgen (HEIRNET) and Joanna Wojdon (ISHD):
Marjolein Wilke, Historical Thinking in Upper Secondary Education – Three integrated studies on historical (teacher beliefs, a designed teaching unit, and a randomised trial) delivering both scholarly rigorous evidence and immediately usable classroom materials. The jury praised its impressive scope and its direct practical contribution. A striking finding: historical thinking gains did not automatically transfer to democratic citizenship, contrasting widespread assumptions in the field.

Photo by Mirela Redič
Brent Geerts, Negotiating Colonial HeritageHow do you design history education around collections built to glorify colonialism? – Working with two Belgian museums, Geerts combines interviews, performance tasks, and a five-month professional learning community, working with teachers and museum guides rather than just studying them. The jury valued its cross-profile comparisons and rare attention to school-museum cooperation.
Sara Karn, Historical Empathy in Canadian History Education – Historical empathy has been theorised internationally for decades yet remained absent from Canadian curriculum and research. Through interviews with researchers and teachers, Karn maps how empathy is taken up in classrooms without official support. The jury recognised a timely contribution, especially its distinction between the “historical” and “personal” dimensions of affect.
New Publication: Compass to History
Fodor, Richárd, Tóth, Judit, Fekete, Áron, eds. (2026) Compass to History and Civic Education : Comparing History Education in 16 European and Asian Countries. Belvedere Meridionale, Szeged. ISBN: 978-615-6913-16-6.
“Comparing history education systems has a long tradition in Europe dating back to the 19th century. After the First World War, the International Committee on Intellectual Co-Operation (predecessor of UNESCO) initiated collaboration and research in the context of history education. During the storms of the 20th century, UNESCO, the Council of Europe, and the well-known research centre, the Georg Eckert Institute, also participated in this effort. The need for comparative research still characterises the European context of history didactics with groups of researchers (Erdmann & Hasberg, 2011) and international multilateral cooperations (OHTE, 2023) continuing the traditions. […] Compass to History and Civic Education is the result of an academic research project launched by the Learning Institute of Mathias Corvinus Collegium, Hungary. It highlights the position of history and civic education in several European, Atlantic, and Asian countries, focusing on the similarities and differences between national and regional approaches to history and civic education.”
The book is accessible here:
(https://real-eod.mtak.hu/20511/2/Compass%20to%20History%20and%20Civic%20Education.pdf)
ISHD at the CISH 2026 Conference
The 2026 Conference of the International Committee of Historical Sciences (CISH) is approaching. It will take place in Leipzig, August 26-30, 2026. Full program of the conference is available at the Conference website: https://cish2026.recentglobe.org/congress-programme/ The ISHD next General Assembly will take place during the conference.
