On the afternoon of May 17, 2025, the academic forum entitled “‘New Historiography’ and the Development of Contemporary Historical Studies” was held at the Dushu Lake Campus of Soochow University, one of the sub-forums of the inaugural Annual Conference on the Development of the Humanities（中国人文学科年度发展大会） in China. During the event, the third “New Historiography Young Scholars Book Prize” was formally awarded. The forum was co-organized by the School of History and Institute of Qing History of Renmin University of China and the School of Social Sciences at Soochow University. Participants included recipients of the third Young Scholars Book Prize, distinguished historians from across China, and faculty and student representatives from institutions such as Renmin University of China and Soochow University.

The forum was divided into two sessions. The first session featured the award ceremony, at which the third “New Historiography Young Scholars Book Prize” was presented. This prize was established by the Beijing Youlan Cultural Foundation (北京幽兰文化基金会) and the Institute of Qing History of Renmin University of China. The first two award ceremonies were successfully held in 2019 and 2022, respectively, and have since garnered wide recognition in China.

Award-Winning Works are as follows:

1.   《女王之死: 伊丽莎白一世时期的权力政治（1568~1590）》（杜宣莹，社会科学文献出版社，2022年）

2.   《治道之统：传统中国政治思想的原型与定型》（孙明，生活·读书·新知三联书店，2023年）

3.   《“地生人”与雅典民主》（颜荻，生活·读书·新知三联书店，2022年）

4.   《徙封：西周封国政治地理的结构—过程（修订本）》（于薇，上海古籍出版社，2023年）

5.   《太行山上：中国共产党太行根据地干部政治成长史》（赵诺，浙江古籍出版社，2023年）。

颁奖仪式由中国人民大学清史研究所副所长、《新史学》集刊学术秘书萧凌波主持。清史研究所杨念群教授代表评审委员会致辞，对设立这一奖项的初衷及本届获奖者的产生过程进行简要介绍。杨念群教授与中国人民大学人文学部主任、明德书院院长黄兴涛教授一起，为到场的四位获奖者颁奖。颁奖之后，五位获奖者分别围绕其获奖作品作学术报告。

The ceremony was hosted by Xiao Lingbo, Deputy Director of the Institute of Qing History and Academic Secretary of Xin Shi Xue (《新史学》). Professor Yang Nianqun of the Institute of Qing History delivered a speech on behalf of the review committee, outlining the original intent behind the award and the selection process for this year’s recipients. He was joined by Professor Huang Xingtao, Director of the Division of Humanities and Head of the Mingde College at Renmin University, in presenting the awards to the four winners in attendance. Following the presentation, each of the five prize recipients gave academic lectures on their award-winning works.

The second session of the forum, chaired by Professor Hu Heng, Director of the Institute of Qing History at Renmin University of China, focused on the theme “New Trends in the Development of Contemporary Historical Studies.” A number of guest scholars delivered presentations, followed by discussions. Professor Li Fan of Beijing Normal University and a member of the Chinese History Discipline Review Group (administered by the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council), offered a review of key issues in the study of academic and intellectual history since the Qing dynasty. Professor Wang Rigen of Xiamen University, a member of the same review group, affirmed the diversity and richness of the award-winning works. Professor Huang Xingtao elaborated on methodologies in humanistic history, underscoring its vital role in tracing the evolution of humanistic knowledge, interpreting humanity’s spiritual pursuits, and critically engaging with the downsides of modernity and techno-scientific civilization. Professor Wu Tao, Chair of the Department of History (Zhuhai) at Sun Yat-sen University, shared his experiences in the interdisciplinary study of economic and price history, focusing on how to strike a balance between economics and historical inquiry. Professor Hou Shen, Deputy Chair of the Department of History at Peking University, spoke from the perspective of environmental history, emphasizing the importance of integrating history with the natural sciences. Professor Huang Hongshan, Dean of the School of Social Sciences at Soochow University, provided an overview of the university’s history program and addressed issues related to historical research in higher education. Professor Liang Chen, Dean of the School of History at Nanjing University, discussed the development of digital humanities.

In his concluding remarks, Professor Yang Nianqun praised the forum’s dynamic and thought-provoking discussions. He noted that the development of new historiography must remain attuned to the times: Contemporary scholarship must make use of one’s intellectual resources to face the challenges of the present in order to avoid merely returning to tradition.