Paul Cohen

About the Author

Paul Cohen is a distinguished historian specializing in modern Chinese history, with a career marked by insightful analyses of how Western scholarship has shaped understandings of China's recent past. A professor emeritus at Harvard University, Cohen has dedicated decades to bridging Eastern and Western historiographical traditions, emphasizing the interplay between cultural perceptions and historical narratives. His seminal work, Discovering History in China: American Historical Writing on the Recent Chinese Past (Studies of the Weatherhead East Asian Institute, Columbia University), exemplifies his rigorous approach, critiquing and illuminating the evolution of American interpretations of Chinese events from the Opium Wars to the present. Cohen's contributions extend through numerous articles and lectures, fostering deeper cross-cultural dialogues in academia. Beyond the classroom, he remains an active voice in global historical discourse, advocating for nuanced perspectives on Asia's transformative eras.