Jeremy Brown

Jeremy Brown is a Professor in the Department of History at Simon Fraser University. He specializes in the social and political history of the People’s Republic of China, with a focus on urban-rural dynamics, Maoist-era policies, and the Tiananmen protests. His research integrates oral histories and grassroots sources to challenge state-centric narratives. Brown earned his PhD from the University of California, San Diego (2008), and has held editorial roles for Cambridge Studies in the History of the People’s Republic of China (2014–2021). He is a recipient of the SFU Excellence in Teaching Award (2017) and multiple SSHRC grants. His books include June Fourth: The Tiananmen Protests and Beijing Massacre of 1989 (2021) and Maoism at the Grassroots (2015). He currently supervises graduate students in Asian history and oral history.

• Education: PhD in History, UC San Diego (2008); Language training at Harbin Institute of Technology (1997) and Tsinghua University (2000–2001).
• Key Research Themes: Maoist ideology, urban-rural divides, Cultural Revolution, memory studies, and political repression.
• Grants: SSHRC Standard Research Grant (2010–2013), Henry Luce Foundation Fellowship (2014–2015).

His work often examines everyday life under Maoism, including resistance to state policies, grassroots agency, and the legacies of trauma in modern China. Brown is also active in teaching innovation, such as using Wikipedia to engage students with contested historical events.