The Scholarly Readings of Young Historians are organised by the Institute of Latvian History at the Faculty of Humanities of the University of Latvia and Valmiera Museum. For several years the conference has been international and is organised in co-operation with Vytautas Magnus University in Kaunas, the Lithuanian History Institute and the Institute of History and Archaeology of Tartu University.
The organisers are looking forward to participation applications from students from Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia whose research interests include topics related to the history in the broadest possible contexts: archaeology and pre-history; the auxiliary sciences of history; medieval history; the history of the Modern period (the 16th–19th century: politics, culture, society, ethnography etc.); the 20th–21st century history (politics, culture, society, economy etc.); art history etc. It is a great opportunity to present research findings in an academic environment, to strengthen experience in participating in conferences, to submit papers to an anonymously reviewed collection of conference papers, as well as to get acquainted with research interests of other young historians and to get advice and support from experienced colleagues.
Participation in the conference is free of charge.
Requirements for potential conference participants:
- BA degree;
- Clear formulation of the research object and the relevance of the proposed presentation to history.
Conference abstracts and collections of articles from the previous years.
Valmiera Museum and the Institute of Latvian History, Faculty of Humanities of the University of Latvia (UL FH ILH) invite you to apply for the international conference “Scholarly Readings of Young Historians XII” (SRYH XII), to be held in person on November 5-6, 2026 at Valmiera Museum.
The conference organizing team warmly invites applications related to historical research. Interdisciplinary research papers – including art history, political and law studies, religious studies and theology, musicology and related fields – are also welcome. The presentations may explore topics ranging from prehistory to the present day.
Requirements for the participants:
1. A bachelor’s or master’s degree is required. PhD candidates and researchers, who completed their doctoral degree within the past two years, are welcome to apply as well. Doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers are invited to present in English.
2. The participant’s application must clearly and precisely formulate the research object and the historical orientation of the paper.
3. The paper must reflect the author’s original scholarly research, which has not been previously presented at any other conference.
Registration for the conference is open until September 15, by filling in the form HERE.
Presentations in English will take place on Thursday, November 5, while presentations in Latvian will be held on Friday, November 6.
Accommodation will be provided for participants attending both days of the conference, as well as for those arriving a day earlier, on November 4.
Participants will be notified about the inclusion of their papers in the SRYH XII programme by September 30, 2026. Further information on the possibility of publication will be provided before the conference.
The conference will be held at Valmiera Museum for the 12th time. SRYH is a platform for young historians actively developing their academic careers. Researchers who have recently obtained an academic degree are invited to present their research findings to the public as part of SRYH.
The conference is organized by Valmiera Museum and UL FH ILH, in collaboration with the international partners – Vytautas Magnus University in Kaunas, Lithuanian History Institute and the Institute of History and Archaeology of Tartu University.
Should you have any questions or require further information, please contact: anna.norvele@valmierasnovads.lv or call: +371 64207636
Conference and room accessibility: Valmiera Museum welcomes guests with limited mobility. The premises where SRYH will take place are equipped with an elevator and accessible restroom facilities. Additional rooms are available; however, some may have physical access limitations. Simultaneous interpretation into sign language is not planned for the conference. Certified guide dogs are warmly welcomed throughout the museum premises.