About
Dong Yang is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chinese and Japanese at Grinnell College, where he teaches Chinese language, classical Chinese, and interdisciplinary courses on Chinese thought and cinema. His academic work bridges comparative intellectual history and global film studies, with a focus on Chinese engagements with Western modernity and avant-garde aesthetics.
His research interests include:
- Comparative intellectual history of China and the West
- Theoretical reinterpretation of Chinese texts using poststructuralist frameworks
- Chinese-language art cinema and its relationship to French New Wave and Euro-American neo-avant-garde traditions
- Emotion, visuality, and aesthetics in modern and contemporary Chinese cultural production
- Gender, psychoanalysis, and female subjectivity in Greater China’s literary and cinematic works
- East Asian animation from analog to AI-driven forms
Although no publications are listed in the provided text, his recent course topics—such as A Comparative Introduction to East Asian Animation, Chinese Women: Past and Present, and Chinese Cinema in Chinese!—suggest a strong scholarly trajectory integrating media studies, literary analysis, and philosophical inquiry. His pedagogical approach emphasizes comparative, interdisciplinary, and critical perspectives.
Dong Yang has taught a wide range of courses across levels, including:
- Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced Chinese language
- Classical Chinese through Zhuangzi
- Modern China through Literature and Film
- Special topics seminars on female identities and East Asian animation
He actively mentors students and invites them to explore underexamined ideas and images in Chinese thought and visual culture from diverse angles. His recent course offerings indicate a dynamic and evolving research agenda at the intersection of philosophy, film, and cultural theory.
Research fields
