Reflections on a successful conference hosted at the University of Portsmouth on 10 and 11 June 2025
Participants from across the globe have praised the inaugural conference organised by the Centre for Port Cities and Maritime Cultures at the University of Portsmouth. Feedback from the attendees described the academic gathering as ‘wonderful’, ‘well organised’, ‘enlightening’, and ‘inspirational’, with contributions from ‘plenty of talented scholars’. The two-day event in June 2025 was attended by 42 participants, including international visitors from Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, Hong Kong, India, Malta, Malaysia, the United States, Peru and Sweden. Lloyd’s Register Foundation generously sponsored the conference fees for 13 students, post-doctoral researchers and independent scholars, and the wine reception.
The Port Cities and Maritime Cultures International Conference focused on the past, present and future importance of urban-maritime cultures and communities worldwide. A total of 20 presentations were divided into seven themed sessions, including navigating life in sailortown, showcasing maritime museums, and today’s waterfront: preserving urban-maritime heritage and embracing modernity.
The keynote address was given by Professor Tim Man Kong Wong, Director, Academy of Chinese, History, Religion and Philosophy from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Hong Kong Baptist University. He spoke about the challenges of tackling beriberi - a disease caused by a vitamin B1 deficiency - in Hong Kong from the 1890s to 1940s.
The conference ended with a visit to the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, which included visits to the SHE_SEES exhibition about women in the maritime industry and the Mary Rose Museum.