Benjamin Penny

Benjamin Penny is a Senior Research Fellow in the Australian Centre on China in the World at the Australian National University (ANU), within the School of Culture, History & Language. He holds a BA from the University of Sydney, MPhil from the University of Cambridge, and PhD from ANU. His research focuses on religious movements in modern China, Daoist studies, expatriate communities in Treaty Ports, and new religious movements in Taiwan. He has held significant roles including Director of the Australian Centre on China in the World since 2015, and previously Deputy Director of the School of Culture, History & Language.

Notable awards include the Harold White Research Fellowship (National Library of Australia) and the Charles Strong Memorial Trust Annual Lectureship. He has overseen major projects such as the construction of the Australian Centre on China in the World building and led research initiatives like the 'Fragments of the Gaodao zhuan' project (2021–2024).

His recent research explores contemporary religious dynamics in China, including Falun Gong history, religious Daoism, and cultural control mechanisms. Key publications analyze moral discourse in Xi Jinping's leadership, cultural policies, and religious practices in colonial contexts. He has edited major journals like Humanities Research and East Asian History.

Grants include leadership roles in projects examining Chinese labor dynamics and religious innovation in East Asia. His work bridges historical analysis with contemporary socio-political trends in China and its global diaspora.