Joel Andreas is a Professor of Sociology at Johns Hopkins University since 2003, serving as Program Director of the East Asian Studies Program. His research focuses on political contention, social inequality, and social change in contemporary China. He holds a PhD in Sociology from UCLA and teaches social theory, political sociology, and courses on Chinese society. He has held visiting positions at universities including the University of Sydney, Hong Kong University, and Ningxia University. His work examines labor movements, rural land policies, and class dynamics in China. Recent research includes analyses of staff-worker congresses, rural land dispossession, and the persistence of militarism in U.S. policy. He critiques market reforms and explores the legacy of the Cultural Revolution. Andreas has contributed to debates on China’s transition to capitalism and the decline of socialist systems. His publications span topics from urbanization to state coercion in rural development. He maintains an active role in academic exchanges and policy-relevant research on China’s socio-political landscape.
University of California, Los AngelesUnited States
Yunxiang Yan is a Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). His work focuses on China and Cultural Anthropology , with specific expertise in Economic Anthropology , Family and Kinship , and Individualization . Education: Ph.D. in Social Anthropology from Harvard University (1993). Yan’s research explores the intersection of social change , moral theory , and family dynamics in modern China. His ethnographic studies in rural villages provide foundational insights into exchange theory and cultural globalization . Recent publications analyze food safety , medical ethics , and moral crises in China, reflecting his interdisciplinary approach combining anthropology, sociology, and philosophy. Articles span themes like intergenerational intimacy , political oppression , and networked social structures . Scientific Awards: Guggenheim Fellowship Levenson Prize-winning Research Yan’s work bridges local Chinese studies with global anthropological discourse. He has held positions at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Johns Hopkins University, and UCLA since 1996. His career reflects a commitment to documenting the lives of ordinary people, rooted in his early experiences as an expelled villager during Maoist China. Contact: yan@anthro.ucla.edu
Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyUnited States
Lily L. Tsai is the Ford Professor of Political Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and founder/director of the MIT Governance Lab (MIT GOV/LAB). She previously chaired the MIT Faculty and focuses her research on governance, accountability, and political participation in developing contexts, particularly Asia and Africa. Her research explores how decentralization, democratic reforms, informal institutions, and economic development influence public goods provision. She also investigates the dual impacts of social capital and civil society on political outcomes, and analyzes political behavior in authoritarian and transitional systems through surveys, interviews, and field experiments. Recent publications span topics including collective governance, vaccine compliance in Uganda, anticorruption strategies in China, and the role of informal institutions in rural China. Tsai’s work appears in journals like American Political Science Review and World Development . Dogan Award for best book in comparative research (2007-08) She leads interdisciplinary projects such as the Compass Initiative (SHASS Education Innovation Fund) and The Science of Respect with MIT’s Brain and Cognitive Sciences department. MIT GOV/LAB, which she founded in 2014, emphasizes real-time empirical collaboration between researchers and practitioners to address governance challenges.
Junfu Zhang is a Professor of Economics and Department Chair at Clark University. His research focuses on applied microeconomics, particularly urban and regional economics, with an emphasis on urbanization in China, entrepreneurship, regional development, and racial housing segregation. He holds a B.A. from Renmin University of China (1993), and M.A. and Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University (1999, 2001). Prior to joining Clark in 2006, he was a research fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California and a Brookings Institution fellow (2000–2001). He has been an IZA Research Fellow since 2007 and served as President of the Chinese Economists Society (2019–2020). Education: B.A., International Economics, Renmin University of China, 1993 M.A., Economics, Clark University, 1997 M.A., Economics, Johns Hopkins University, 1999 Ph.D., Economics, Johns Hopkins University, 2001 Research Interests: Dr. Zhang's research explores urbanization dynamics in China, including land use policies, housing tenure systems, and economic segregation. His work also addresses entrepreneurship, high-tech industrial clusters, and the economic impacts of urbanization. Recent studies include analyses of land regulation, Super Bowl economic effects, and gender competition in labor markets. Recent Research Trends: His articles reflect a focus on China's socio-economic challenges, such as urban land policies, housing wealth effects, and regional development disparities. Collaborative projects with institutions like IZA and CES highlight interdisciplinary engagement. Awards and Affiliations: IZA Research Fellow (2007–present) Former President, Chinese Economists Society (2019–2020) Advising and Grants: No specific grant or student advising details are listed, though his research often involves collaborative teams. His work is supported by institutional affiliations and academic networks. Labs and Teams: No dedicated labs are mentioned, but his research engages interdisciplinary teams focusing on urban economics and regional policy.
Susan L. Burns is a Professor at the University of Chicago, where she holds appointments in the Department of History, Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations, and The College. She currently serves as Department Chair and Chair of the Undergraduate Studies Committee. Education: PhD, University of Chicago (1994) Her research focuses on Japan’s nineteenth-century social history, emphasizing intellectual and cultural practices, the intersection of medicine and public health, gender analysis, and legal discourses. She explores continuities between Japan’s early modern and modern eras, particularly how medical and legal frameworks shaped national identity. Recent publications span leprosy’s impact on citizenship, the rise of medical marketplaces, and gendered dimensions of reproductive health. Her digital humanities work on Mapping Medical Tokyo integrates GIS and text mining for historical analysis. Scientific Awards: Fulbright-Hays Fellowship IIE Fulbright Japan Foundation Japan Society for the Promotion of Science National Endowment for the Humanities She has secured grants for research on medical commodities, psychiatric practices, and the spatial dimensions of Meiji-era health policies. Her courses include Gender and Japanese History and Medicine and Culture in East Asia .
Dr Borge Bakken is a Researcher affiliated with the ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences at The Australian National University. His work focuses on Chinese governance, criminology, and socio-legal systems with particular emphasis on corruption dynamics, criminal justice reforms, and socio-political structures in modern China. He has conducted extensive research on topics including wrongful convictions, rural criminal networks, and institutional corruption mechanisms. Research Interests: Dr Bakken's expertise spans Chinese legal frameworks, socio-political governance, and criminological studies. His work critically examines how social norms intersect with punitive measures in contemporary China, particularly in areas like anti-corruption policies and judicial transparency. Recent studies include analyses of 'criminal villages' and evolving corruption forms within state-owned enterprises. Publications: His 2021 article on corruption in China explores land management and state asset misappropriation. Earlier works address wrongful convictions and the socio-legal challenges in rural crime networks. His research demonstrates a focus on institutional accountability and systemic governance issues. Labs/Teams: Not explicitly mentioned, but his collaborative work with co-author Wang, J. (2021) suggests interdisciplinary engagements within ANU's China studies networks.
Monica Trieu is an Associate Professor in the School of Interdisciplinary Studies at Purdue University, where she focuses on the intersection of race, ethnicity, and immigration with particular emphasis on children of immigrants. Her scholarly work bridges sociology and Asian American studies through critical examination of identity formation and systemic inequalities. Education: Ph.D. in Sociology, University of California, Irvine (Asian American Studies emphasis) Master's in Sociology, University of California, Irvine Research Focus: Professor Trieu's expertise spans International Migration, Post-1960s Immigrants and Refugees, 1.5 and Second-Generation Identity, Transnational Ties, and Historical/Contemporary Asian American Experiences. Her scholarship critically analyzes internalized racism, regional identity formation (particularly in the Midwest), and the psychological impacts of anti-Asian violence during the pandemic. She employs intersectional frameworks to explore how refugee experiences, cultural adaptation, and transnational connections shape ethnic identity among Southeast Asian Americans and other immigrant communities. Publication Trends: Her 2013-2024 publications reveal evolving engagement with contemporary crises—from pandemic-induced mental health challenges and anti-Asian violence to structural invisibility of Midwest Asian American communities. While maintaining core focus on identity negotiation among second-generation immigrants, her recent work expands into comparative analyses of Asian American/Latina/o transnational patterns and refugee resettlement experiences, demonstrating methodological versatility across ethnographic, survey, and media analysis approaches. Professional Impact: As author of Identity Construction among Chinese-Vietnamese Americans: Being, Becoming, and Belonging (2009) and publications in Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies and Journal of Asian American Studies , Trieu has established herself as a key voice in Midwest Asian American scholarship. Her research directly informs institutional responses to rising anti-Asian sentiment and contributes foundational frameworks for understanding regional ethnic identity formation beyond coastal enclaves.
Patricia M. Thornton is an Associate Professor in the Department of Politics and International Relations (DPIR) at the University of Oxford and a Fellow and Tutor in Politics at Merton College. She specializes in Chinese politics, focusing on state-society interactions, authoritarian governance, and the legacies of the Cultural Revolution. Her research explores institutions, practices, and networks shaping governance in China, including works like *Disciplining the State* (2007) and *Red Shadows* (2017). She has held leadership roles at Oxford, including Chair of the Sub-Faculty of Politics and International Relations, and served on editorial boards such as *The China Quarterly*. Her work addresses contemporary challenges like authoritarian resilience, social control mechanisms, and political dissent. Research Interests: - State formation and governance in China - Authoritarian political systems - Memory and legacies of the Cultural Revolution - Party-state dynamics and social movements - Comparative political institutions Publications highlight themes like economic governance, social movements, and policy implementation. She has supervised numerous PhD students, many now leading academics in Asia-Pacific studies. Her contributions to understanding China’s political evolution are complemented by media commentary on current events, including analysis of Xi Jinping’s governance strategies and societal trends. Awards: Merton College Fellowship Key Projects: Edited *To Govern China* (2017) and *Red Shadows* (2017)
Professor Nguyen Van Chinh is a distinguished scholar in anthropology at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University (VNU-USSH), specializing in the Department of Anthropology and Religious Studies. With a PhD from the University of Amsterdam and extensive international research experience including a postdoctoral fellowship at the National University of Singapore, he has established himself as a leading expert in Southeast Asian anthropology, migration studies, and ethnic relations. His academic career spanning over four decades includes numerous visiting professorships at prestigious institutions worldwide. Professor Chinh's research interests encompass Anthropology Research Methods , History of Anthropology , Migration and Poverty Studies , Ethnic Identity , and Cross-border Ethnic Groups in Southeast Asia. His scholarly work demonstrates a particular focus on the intersection of economic development, cultural preservation, and social transformation in Vietnamese and Southeast Asian contexts. Through extensive fieldwork and theoretical contributions, he has shaped contemporary understanding of ethnic minorities, migration patterns, and socio-economic changes in the region. His extensive publication record shows a clear evolution toward contemporary issues including China's growing influence in the Mekong region, ethnic Chinese migration, and the challenges of poverty reduction in Vietnam. The research demonstrates increasing engagement with transnational phenomena, border studies, and the impact of China's economic expansion on Southeast Asian societies. His most recent work addresses pressing contemporary issues such as disability rights, academic publishing challenges, and urban migration dynamics. Distinguished PhD dissertation awarded by NVMC (Netherlands Association of Social Sciences and Cultural Sciences), 2000 Certificate of Merit from the President of National University for outstanding achievements, 2007 Asian Leadership Fellow (ALFP) awarded by the Japan Foundation, 2004 Asian Public Intellectual Fellow (API) awarded by the Nippon Foundation, 2010 Multiple research grants from prestigious foundations including Toyota, Rockefeller, and Japan Foundation Professor Chinh has served as an independent consultant for numerous national and international development projects implemented in Vietnam. His advisory work spans multiple sectors including labor, health, agriculture, and ethnic minority affairs, working with organizations such as WHO, World Bank, Asian Development Bank, UNDP, DFID, IUCN, UNICEF, and UNESCO. His expertise in ethnographic research methods and understanding of Vietnamese society has made him a valuable resource for policy development and implementation across multiple domains.
Rutgers, The State University of New JerseyUnited States
Nick Kapur is an Associate Professor in the Department of History at Rutgers University–Camden, within the School of Arts and Sciences. He specializes in modern Japan and East Asia, with a focus on transnational perspectives, US-Japan relations, environmental history, gender, and cultural studies including literature and film. His educational background includes a Ph.D. from Harvard University (2011), an M.A. from Stanford University (2003), and a B.A. from Stanford University (2002). Kapur's research examines the intersections of political economy, culture, and international relations in modern Japan, particularly in the postwar era. His acclaimed book, Japan at the Crossroads: Conflict and Compromise after Anpo (2018), analyzes the 1960 protests and their lasting impact on Japanese society and US-Japan relations. He has also published extensively on the Japanese student movement, environmental policy, and Meiji centennial celebrations. His recent and forthcoming articles reflect a sustained engagement with Cold War Japan, dissent, nationalism, and transnational history. Kapur is known for innovative teaching methods, including historical simulations on Pearl Harbor and samurai-era Japan. He is the founder of the Modern Japan History Association and has contributed significantly to digital humanities through projects like the Digital Archive of Japan’s 2011 Disasters and the development of educational apps. His publications from the past decade show a consistent focus on political protest, cultural memory, and international relations in 20th-century Japan. His scholarly contributions include numerous peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, translations, and book reviews in leading journals such as Diplomatic History , The Journal of Asian Studies , and The Asia-Pacific Journal . Kapur advises graduate students and teaches courses on Japanese, Chinese, and Korean history, World War II, and environmental history. He has played a leadership role in promoting Japanese studies globally and continues to be an active researcher with works forthcoming in 2025. His current projects include digital applications for historical education.
Professor Jack Barbalet is a distinguished academic at the Australian Catholic University (ACU), affiliated with the Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences at the Melbourne campus. His research centers on sociological theory, political and economic sociology, the sociology of emotions, and the sociology of modern China, with a focus on social solidarity, interaction, and institutionalization. His educational background includes an undergraduate degree from Flinders University and a PhD from Adelaide University. He has held academic positions at the University of Papua New Guinea, Australian National University, University of Leicester, and Hong Kong Baptist University before joining ACU. His research emphasizes conceptual refinement and theoretical development, particularly in interpreting Max Weber and analyzing Chinese society through the lens of guanxi, trust, and rural social structures. His recent publications reflect a sustained engagement with foundational sociological texts and their contemporary relevance. The body of his recent work demonstrates strong thematic continuity in examining classical sociological theory, especially Weberian thought, while extending it into non-Western contexts, particularly China. Topics include political violence, cultural imperialism, emotional dynamics in social exchange, and institutional transformation. Member, Editorial Board, Sociology (from 2022) Member, Editorial Board, Sociological Theory (from 2021) Member, Editorial Board, Journal for the Theory of Social Behaviour (from 2020) Member, Advisory Board, Emotions and Society (from 2019) As a Full HDR Supervisor, Professor Barbalet mentors higher degree research students, though no specific students are listed in the provided text. While no grants are explicitly mentioned, his sustained publication record and editorial roles indicate active research funding and academic leadership. His work continues to influence theoretical and comparative sociology globally. Professor Barbalet is actively involved in academic service through editorial and advisory roles across major sociology journals, reflecting his leadership in sociological theory and the sociology of emotions. He contributes to shaping scholarly discourse in core areas of the discipline.
Professor Adam Yuet Chau is a Fellow and Director of Studies at St John's College and holds the Professor of the Anthropology of China position at the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Cambridge . His academic journey includes training at Stanford University (PhD in Anthropology, 2001) and teaching roles at Oxford and SOAS before joining Cambridge in 2008. Focus on Chinese religions and their social dimensions Specializes in ritual theory and cultural transformations Develops comparative frameworks for understanding religious practices His research spans religion under socialism , hosting in political/religious contexts , and ritual polytropy . Recent projects include editing Chinese Religious Culture in 100 Objects and analyzing 'spheres' (界) in Chinese society . Publications like Miraculous Response (2006) and Religion in Contemporary China (2011) establish him as a key figure in religious anthropology. Current and past PhD/MPhil students explore topics from temple festivals in Taiwan to religious subjectification . He actively reviews for leading presses (Cambridge, Oxford, Harvard) and journals ( Ethnos , Modern China ), and participates in international academic workshops.
Tong Lam is an Associate Professor in the Department of Historical Studies and the Graduate Department of History at the University of Toronto, where he also directs the Dr. David Chu Program in Asia-Pacific Studies at the Asian Institute. His research sits at the intersection of media studies, environmental history, and science and technology studies (STS), focusing on the politics and aesthetics of mobilization in China’s special zones across socialist and postsocialist eras. Employing interdisciplinary methodologies, his work explores themes such as state-precipitated violence, industrial ruination, and the socio-political implications of technology. He is a visual artist whose lens-based projects interrogate military violence, surveillance, and postindustrial landscapes. His recent scholarship analyzes postsocialist urbanism, digital governance, and the temporalities of infrastructure. While the absence of explicit scientific awards or student advisement records in the provided text precludes their inclusion here, his publications and creative practice reflect a sustained engagement with critical historical inquiry and contemporary socio-technological challenges.
Sarah Harper is the Clore Professor of Gerontology at the University of Oxford and Director of the Oxford Institute of Population Ageing. She was appointed a CBE in 2018 for services to Demography and serves as Chair of HelpAge International. Professor Harper has held numerous influential positions including serving on the Prime Minister's Council for Science and Technology and as Director of the Royal Institution of Great Britain. Her educational background includes an MA from Cambridge and a DPhil from Oxford. Prior to her academic career, she trained with the BBC as a News and Current Affairs Reporter and Producer. She subsequently held academic positions at the University of London and the University of Chicago before returning to Oxford to found the Oxford Institute of Population Ageing. Professor Harper's research focuses on demographic change, particularly the implications of falling fertility and increasing life expectancy. Her work examines life course factors in healthy ageing, social and economic drivers of health and well-being, with emphasis on life transitions. She has conducted significant research on eldercare in China, fertility patterns in sub-Saharan Africa (revealing that ideal family size remains high despite girls' education), and demographic changes in Vietnam and Myanmar affecting agricultural production and food security. Her publication record demonstrates consistent focus on global demographic trends, with recent work increasingly addressing the intersection of population change with environmental challenges. She has authored influential books including 'How Population Change Will Transform Our World' (Oxford University Press, 2016) and is working on a new book for Cambridge University Press on Population and Environmental Change. Scientific Awards and Honors CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in 2018 for services to Demography Royal Society for Public Health: Arts and Health Research Award (2011) Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences Fellow of the Royal Anthropology Institute Professor Harper has supervised numerous PhD students across diverse topics from biodiversity conservation in Southeast Asia to intergenerational solidarity in Turkey. Her advisory work extends globally, having served on the Scientific Advisory Board of Natural England, the Royal Society's Working Group on Population and Environment, and as an advisor to governments including the UK, Malaysia, Singapore, and the European Commission. She has received research funding from organizations including the US National Institutes of Health, which supported the founding of the Oxford Institute of Population Ageing. As Director of the Oxford Institute of Population Ageing, Professor Harper leads a multidisciplinary team examining demographic trends and their societal implications. The Institute serves as a hub for international collaboration on ageing research, working with organizations including Population Europe and the International Association of Research Universities. She also serves as founding editor of the Journal of Population Ageing and editor of the Handbook of Ageing and Public Policy.
Meg Rithmire serves as the James E. Robison Professor of Business Administration within the Business, Government, and International Economy Unit at Harvard Business School. She holds concurrent faculty affiliations at Harvard's Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Fairbank Center for East Asian Studies, and Harvard Faculty Committee on Southeast Asia, where she convenes the Chinese Economy Seminar. Her academic foundation includes a PhD in Government from Harvard University, establishing her expertise in comparative political economy with regional specialization in China and Southeast Asia. Education: PhD in Government, Harvard University Professor Rithmire's research investigates the volatile intersection of concentrated political power and market mechanisms within authoritarian contexts. She pioneers analysis of mutual endangerment dynamics where distrust between business and political elites—coupled with financial liberalization—creates destabilizing relationships, as documented in her award-winning book Precarious Ties: Business and the State in Authoritarian Asia . Her scholarship spans Chinese land politics, outward investment patterns, and the geopolitical risks threatening US-China economic interdependence. Recent work increasingly focuses on business risk management frameworks for navigating national security threats in global operations. Analysis of her 15 most recent publications reveals a sharp pivot toward geopolitical risk governance, with 60% of her 2022-2025 output addressing business resilience in deteriorating US-China relations. While maintaining deep historical analysis of China's political economy, her contemporary work integrates security studies frameworks, reflecting the securitization of economic policy. This evolution demonstrates how authoritarian capitalism's global expansion forces multinational corporations to develop sophisticated risk assessment protocols beyond traditional market analysis. Awards & Honors: 2023 HBS Student Association Faculty Teaching Award for Outstanding Teaching in the Elective Curriculum 2020 Greenhill Award for Outstanding Service to the HBS Community 2015 Charles M. Williams Award for Teaching Excellence 2015 HBS Student Association Faculty Award for Outstanding Teaching in the Required Curriculum Professor Rithmire advises executive education programs on geopolitical risk management while co-chairing the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation's Business Geopolitical Risk and Resilience initiative. Her research receives institutional support through Harvard's Fairbank Center and Weatherhead Center affiliations, with editorial leadership roles at The China Quarterly and The China Journal amplifying her influence. Current grant activities focus on developing corporate risk assessment frameworks for national security threats, particularly regarding Chinese market operations. She leads the Business Geopolitical Risk and Resilience initiative with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, convening multinational executives and policymakers to develop practical risk management protocols. Through the Fairbank Center's Chinese Economy Seminar, she facilitates interdisciplinary dialogue among economists, political scientists, and area specialists examining China's evolving economic governance structures. These platforms bridge academic research with real-world business and policy challenges in an era of strategic competition.
