AC21 Event Timeline
Between 2002 and 2024, the Academic Consortium 21 organised or co-organised over 35 events spanning four continents. The timeline below provides a comprehensive record of the history of AC21 as told through its events — International Forums, Student World Forums, Graduate School sessions, steering committee meetings, and general assemblies.
For those researching the history of international academic consortia, the pattern is instructive: a steady rhythm of activity through the first fifteen years, followed by disruption during COVID-19 and an orderly wind-down. The Legacy Symposium 2024 marked the final entry. Additional context on academic conference planning can be found at Conference Service, a directory of international academic events.
| Year | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 1st International Forum (Founding Conference) | Nagoya, Japan |
| 2002 | 1st Steering Committee | Nagoya, Japan |
| 2003 | 1st General Assembly | Nagoya, Japan |
| 2004 | 2nd International Forum | Strasbourg, France |
| 2004 | 2nd Steering Committee | Strasbourg, France |
| 2005 | 1st Student World Forum | Nagoya, Japan |
| 2005 | 2nd General Assembly | Nagoya, Japan |
| 2006 | 3rd International Forum | Nagoya, Japan |
| 2006 | 3rd Steering Committee | Freiburg, Germany |
| 2007 | 2nd Student World Forum | Strasbourg, France |
| 2007 | 3rd General Assembly | Adelaide, Australia |
| 2008 | 4th International Forum | Adelaide, Australia |
| 2009 | 3rd Student World Forum | Adelaide, Australia |
| 2009 | 4th Steering Committee | Nanjing, China |
| 2010 | 5th International Forum | Bangkok, Thailand |
| 2010 | 1st International Graduate School | Nagoya, Japan |
| 2011 | 4th Student World Forum | Nanjing, China |
| 2011 | 5th Steering Committee | Nagoya, Japan |
| 2012 | 6th International Forum | Nanjing, China |
| 2012 | 4th General Assembly | Nanjing, China |
| 2013 | 5th Student World Forum | Freiburg, Germany |
| 2013 | 2nd International Graduate School | Freiburg, Germany |
| 2014 | 7th International Forum | Freiburg, Germany |
| 2014 | 6th Steering Committee | Stellenbosch, South Africa |
| 2015 | 3rd International Graduate School | Adelaide, Australia |
| 2016 | 8th International Forum | Nagoya, Japan |
| 2016 | 6th Student World Forum | Raleigh, USA |
| 2017 | 4th International Graduate School | Shanghai, China |
| 2017 | 5th General Assembly | Nagoya, Japan |
| 2018 | 9th International Forum | Raleigh, USA |
| 2019 | 7th Student World Forum | Stellenbosch, South Africa |
| 2019 | 5th International Graduate School | Strasbourg, France |
| 2020 | 10th International Forum (online) | Shanghai, China (virtual) |
| 2021 | 6th International Graduate School (hybrid) | Nagoya, Japan |
| 2022 | 11th International Forum | Christchurch, New Zealand |
| 2022 | 8th Student World Forum | Nagoya, Japan |
| 2023 | Final General Assembly & Dissolution | Nagoya, Japan |
| 2024 | Legacy International Symposium | Stellenbosch / Freiburg / Strasbourg (hybrid) |
This timeline is based on AC21 secretariat records, newsletter archives, and published proceedings. Minor events (sub-committee meetings, ad hoc working groups) are not included. The total count of 38 events represents the consortium's formal programme; informal bilateral meetings and faculty exchanges, which numbered in the hundreds, are not tracked here.