2012年5月30日,“中国当代史的现状与趋势”座谈会在华东师范大学教师之家举行。华师大历史系冯筱才教授和上海社科院历史所金大陆研究员共同主持,来自国内外的二十多位学者出席。三位美国学者介绍了北美学界的研究现状。加州大学伯克利分校的叶文心教授说,北美学界历来倾心于中国当代史研究,但研究者多为政治系教授。作为历史学的一枝,该研究尚属新兴之学。近年有所改变,如哈佛大学柯伟林教授(W.C.Kirby)把中国近现代史和中国当代史作为整理观察的尝试 May 30, 2012, “The Current Situation and Trends of Contemporary Chinese History” was held in Teacher’s House of East China Normal University. Professor Feng Xiaocai, Department of History, China Normal University and Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences co-chaired by researchers from the mainland, more than 20 scholars from home and abroad attended. Three American scholars introduced the research status of North American academia. Professor Ye Wenxin of the University of California, Berkeley, said North American scholars have always been very interested in the study of Chinese contemporary history, but most of the researchers are professors of politics. As a branch of history, the study is still emerging. In recent years, some have changed, such as W.C. Kirby of Harvard University (1986) attempting to organize the observation of modern and contemporary Chinese history