Welcome Message
Greetings, colleagues and welcome.
As a professional deeply committed to the advancement of occupational and environmental health, I welcome you to join me in a thoughtful exploration of our field’s rich legacy. Drawing on the insights of historical practice and current scientific rigor, we are uniquely positioned to understand and enhance the well-being of our communities.
Please register now to stay up-to-date on developments from the committee.

Jason Glaser
Chair of the ICOH History Scientific Committee & CEO of La Isla Network
Recognizing the Rich History of Occupational and Environmental Health: Insights from the Recent and Distant Past
The Scientific Committee on the History of Prevention of Occupational and Environmental Diseases, part of the International Commission on Occupational Health (ICOH), is pleased to announce the 8th International Conference on the History of Occupational and Environmental Health.
The scientific program will focus on the importance of taking into account the history of occupational and environmental health. Throughout history, occupational and environmental health has been influenced by a wide range of factors. Technological advances and socio-economic changes have introduced new hazards, altered the patterns of established diseases, and given rise to entirely novel conditions. Occupational health practitioners, researchers, workers’ and other social movements have been instrumental in recognizing sentinel health events, identifying disease causes, and advancing prevention efforts. However, progress has often faced delays due to vested interests. Historical insights might play an important role in shaping current and future practices in occupational and environmental health.
This will be the 8th edition of the conference with previous meetings held in Rome (Italy) 1998, Norrköping (Sweden) 2001, Birmingham (UK) 2007, San Francisco (US) 2010, Rotterdam (The Netherlands) 2014. Gothenburg (Sweden) 2017, and Durban (South Africa) 2023.
The conference is intended to promote interconnections among historians, social scientists and occupational and environmental practitioners/researchers.
Next to keynote lectures from leading researchers in the field, there will be an open call for abstracts for oral and poster presentations and a pre-conference program.
All conference and programme updates, registration process, fees and the submission of abstracts information will be available at the conference website which will be online soon.
We look forward to seeing you in Leuven!
Any other information request please write to Click to reveal
Scientific and Organising Committee

Jason Glaser
Chair of the ICOH History Scientific Committee & CEO of La Isla Network

Rajen Naidoo
University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and Secretary of the ICOH History Scientific Committee

Steven Ronsmans
KU Leuven (University of Leuven) Belgium and Conference Chair
Paul Blanc
University of California, San Francisco, US
Julia Moses
University of Sheffield, UK
Kjell Torén
University of Gothenburg, Sweden
Benoit Nemery
KU Leuven, Belgium
Alfredo Menéndez Navarro
University of Granada, Spain
Catherine Cavalin
CNRS, France
Kristina Jakobson
University of Gothenburg, Sweden
Michele Riva
University of Milano-Bicocca, Italy
Robin Debo
ETWIE, Expertise Center for Technical, Scientific and Industrial Heritage, Ghent, Belgium
Lidia Casas
University of Antwerp, Belgium
Conference Venue
The conference will be held at the KU Leuven Faculty of Social Sciences, located in the heart of the city. On this page, you’ll find venue details, directions, and tips for navigating the campus and surrounding area.
Travel & Accommodation
Planning your stay in Leuven is easy, with over 1,000 rooms available across a wide range of budgets. Whether you prefer hotels, cozy bed & breakfasts, or youth hostels, you’ll find comfortable options just a short walk from the city center. Browse the overview below to find the accommodation that best suits your needs.
Special Lufthansa Group airlines fares
The Lufthansa Group airlines bring people together – every day, all around the world. The global route network of Austrian Airlines, Lufthansa, SWISS, Brussels Airlines and Eurowings offers optimal connection and combination options, so you will benefit from quick and direct flights to the event.
The reduced fares are automatically displayed.
NB: Please enable pop-ups permanently in your browser while booking, otherwise the window in the booking platform will not open.




