Professor Zhang Yongan Gave a Lecture at the Wuhan University Yangtze River Forum

In the morning of October 15, 2017, Zhang Yongan, Vice Chairman and Secretary General of the American History Research Association of China, and Dean of the College of Liberal Arts of Shanghai University, was invited to give a lecture entitled "Western Medical Social History: New Issues, New Methods, New Approach" on the 28^thLecture of the Yangtze River Forum. The lecture was chaired by Professor Xie Guorong, Vice President of Wuhan University School of History. Professor Pan Yingchun from the School of History presented Professor Zhang Yongan with the "Yangtze River Forum Speaker" commemorative certificate.

Professor Zhang Yongan analyzed the development of studies on Western medical and social history from the perspective of "new historical materials and new history". He pointed out that since 1800, compared with the studies of traditional political history and economic history, studies on Western medical history and cultural history has shown a great momentum, especially medical history of society has become a hot topic in Western historian circle.

Then, Professor Zhang Yongan introduced the research characteristics and current situation of the medical and social history in Europe and the United States by taking some research institutions as examples. He pointed out that if we compare the study of the medical history in Britain and the one in the United States, British scholars mainly conduct research on medical history from the perspectives of humanities, and most of the research institutions are affiliated to the school of history; while most of the American scholars have a medical background, and their research institutions are affiliated to medical school. Professor Zhang Yongan believes that the European and American scholars tend to focus on the forefront issues when approaching this topic, and many also pay attention to multidisciplinary approach by combining with science and engineering.

Professor Zhang Yongan then introduced hot topics of the western medical history circle for the past five years, and pointed out that corporate financing has also become an important reason for the booming of this study.