Lecture on “New Developments of the Study of World Environmental History” Held by the Subject of European and American Modern History

　　On September the 11th, 2018, Maohong Bao (Professor of the Department of History, Peking University) was invited by the leading subject of European and American modern history to give an academic lecture on “New Developments of the Study of World Environmental History”. Researcher Zairong Xu held the lecture. Over 20 scholars of IWH and graduate students of the graduate school of CASS attended the lecture.

　　Maohong Bao first of all introduced new international attempts to compose world history form an innovative environmental perspective, including the three schools of new world history, world system and big history. He also analyzed the historical outlooks of ocean, communication and environment proposed by Japanese scholars and considered them as new efforts of Japanese historians to construct an outlook of civilization centered by Japan in the background of the rise of Japan. Professor Bao also reviewed new trends of world environmental history studies in the background of the development of big history and Anthropogone, and specially analyzed the character of J. McNeil’s study of environmental history. Finally, Professor Bao introduced the theory, concepts, idea and structure of the project he was undertaking, namely “Global Environmental History in the Background of the Rise of East Asia”.

　　After the lecture, Researcher Jinyao Yu briefly commented Professor Bao’s speech and the participants communicated with Professor Bao about issues of the study of world environmental history.