William Rowe

William Rowe holds the John and Diane Cooke Professorship in Chinese History at Johns Hopkins University. His scholarship examines modern Chinese socioeconomic and urban history within broader comparative frameworks.

Research spans Qing dynasty elite consciousness, patterns of agrarian violence, and urban development in 19th-century China. Notable works include studies of Hankow's 19th-century commerce and society, an interpretive history of China's last empire (Qing dynasty), and analyses of early 19th-century reformist thought. Current research focuses on the intellectual contributions of early 19th-century reformist thinker Bao Shichen.

Professor Rowe maintains active engagement in comparative world history frameworks through roles in the Association for Asian Studies and editorial leadership of Late Imperial China journal. His graduate supervision encompasses diverse aspects of Chinese social and intellectual history.