Time: June 11, 2026, 15:00—17:00
Venue: Room B206, Humanities Building, Tsinghua University
Topic: Joseph Needham and Medicine: The History of an Interdisciplinary Puzzle
Speaker: Guo Wenhua (Yangming Chiao Tung University)
Discussant: Liu Bing (Department of the History of Science, Tsinghua University)
Lecture Abstract:
In the discussion of the history of science and technology in China, Joseph Needham occupies an important position. Different from the exploration of "Why Modern Science Did Not Develop in China", this lecture, from the perspective of science, technology and society studies, attempts to understand why medicine became his most difficult and complex academic challenge when Needham shifted from medical research to the writing of the history of science and technology in China.
Speaker Profile:
Kuo Wen-hua, a professor at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, is engaged in medical and social research, covering topics such as East Asian public health, traditional medicine, and palliative care policy. He currently serves as Social Studies of Science associate editor and president of the Society for Social Studies of Science (4S).