Andrea Janku

Dr Andrea Janku is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of History at SOAS University of London, part of the School of History, Religions and Philosophies. She holds an MA and PhD from the University of Heidelberg and studied Chinese literature in Shanghai. Her research focuses on China’s social and intellectual history, with recent emphasis on environmental history and disaster studies, particularly famine experiences in late Qing and Republican eras.

Education:

• MA and PhD in Classical and Modern Sinology (University of Heidelberg)
• Chinese literature studies (Shanghai)

Research Interests: Dr Janku’s work examines how disasters shaped Chinese society, analyzing famine relief efforts, environmental change, and cultural responses to calamities. She has conducted extensive research on Linfen County’s environmental history and co-edited volumes on global disaster contexts. Her current projects explore landscapes of production/consumption and transnational disaster relief networks.

Publications Overview: Her articles and book chapters critically analyze famine narratives, disaster relief mechanisms, and historical discourses in Chinese press. Recent work includes studies on Ming-Qing epidemic responses and 19th-century Shanghai’s press landscape.

Awards & Grants: No scientific awards explicitly mentioned in provided texts.

Supervision & Collaboration: Supervised over ten PhD students focusing on topics like Ming-Qing trans-femininity, missionary education, and Republican postal systems. Collaborates on environmental history projects and international disaster studies networks.