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Joel AndreasView profile

Professor

• Political Contention
• Social Inequality
• Social Change in Contemporary China
• +3 more

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.

Yunxiang YanView profile

Professor

• Economic Anthropology
• Social Change and Development
• Family and Kinship
• +5 more

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

Sigrid SchmalzerView profile

Professor

• History of Modern China
• History of Science
• Science Activism
• +3 more

Sigrid Schmalzer is a Professor of History at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, specializing in the history of science and modern China. She holds a Ph.D. in History and Science Studies from the University of California, San Diego (2004). Her research bridges the social, cultural, and political dimensions of science in China, with a focus on the intersections of agriculture, activism, and revolutionary movements. Schmalzer is the author of *Red Revolution, Green Revolution: Scientific Farming in Socialist China* (2016), winner of the Joseph Levenson Book Prize, and *The People's Peking Man: Popular Science and Human Identity in Twentieth-Century China* (2008), recipient of the Allan Sharlin Award. Her current projects include a book on agricultural heritage in the People’s Republic of China and leadership roles in organizations like the Critical China Scholars and Science for the People. She co-edits the *Activist Studies of Science and Technology* series for UMass Press, emphasizing socially engaged scholarship. Schmalzer also serves as Co-President of the MSP faculty union at UMass Amherst. Research interests span the history of science activism, transnational movements, and the legacy of Maoist science. Notable awards include the Freeman Book Award (2018) for her children’s book *Moth and Wasp, Soil and Ocean*, which integrates science education with historical narratives. Her work often critiques capitalist and authoritarian structures while advocating for science as a tool for justice and sustainability. Recent publications explore themes like agroecology, science policy, and the global dimensions of China’s scientific history. She teaches courses on modern China, science in society, and radical science movements, blending interdisciplinary approaches to engage students in critical analysis of historical and contemporary issues.

Lynn T. White IIIView profile

Professor

• Chinese Politics
• Comparative Politics
• Local Economic Development
• +2 more

Lynn T. White III is Professor Emeritus of Politics and International Affairs at Princeton University. His research examines Chinese political development, particularly in the Yangzi delta region around Shanghai, with comparative work in Taiwan, Thailand, and the Philippines. White's scholarship analyzes how economic changes influence political structures, including the shift from socialist planning to market dynamics in post-1970s China. His recent work explores non-electoral political participation and the scope of mobilization in racial, feminist, and nationalist movements. Publications include Careers in Shanghai , Policies of Chaos , Unstately Power (winner of AAS Levenson Prize), and Political Booms . He has mentored numerous doctoral students who now hold academic positions in Asian studies.

Ching Kwan LeeView profile

Professor

• Political Sociology
• Labor Studies
• Global Development
• +6 more

Ching Kwan Lee is a Professor of Sociology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Her work focuses on global and comparative issues, including labor politics, political sociology, decolonization, and the dynamics of Chinese capitalism. She is renowned for her trilogy on Chinese labor and global expansion, including Gender and the South China Miracle , Against the Law , and The Specter of Global China . Lee has also authored groundbreaking studies on Hong Kong’s decolonization struggles and African-China relations. Education: PhD in Sociology from the University of California, Berkeley. Research Interests : Globalization and its social impacts Comparative labor movements and protest dynamics Decolonization and postcolonial state formations Sino-African economic and labor relations Hong Kong’s political trajectory and transnational activism Her recent work explores resistance to 'global China,' including mass mobilizations in Hong Kong documented in Forever Hong Kong: A Global City’s Decolonization Struggle (2025). She co-edits the Cambridge Elements in Global China and leads the Global Hong Kong Studies @UC initiative. Awards & Recognition : 2024 Distinguished Career in Political Sociology Award Multiple book prizes for The Specter of Global China Fellowships at Stanford’s Center for Advanced Study and Princeton’s Institute for Advanced Study Grants & Initiatives : Lead researcher on NSF grants studying platform capitalism and labor in China Initiated comparative projects on Brazil, India, China, and South Africa ( Southern Interregnum ) Co-editor of volumes on Hong Kong’s Umbrella Movement and global labor studies

James A. RobinsonView profile

Professor

• Political Economy
• Economic Development
• Institutional Analysis
• +3 more

James A. Robinson is a University Professor at the University of Chicago with joint appointments in the Harris School of Public Policy and Department of Political Science. An economist and political scientist, he conducts influential research on political and economic development, examining how political power, institutions, and prosperity interact through both quantitative economic modeling and qualitative fieldwork methodologies. Robinson's research focuses on institutional analysis and political economy, with deep regional expertise in sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. He has conducted extensive fieldwork across Bolivia, Colombia, Haiti, Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South Africa, and Zimbabwe, investigating how historical institutions shape contemporary economic outcomes. His interdisciplinary approach integrates economic theory with anthropological and historical case studies to explain patterns of economic divergence and political stability. Recent publications (2023-2025) reveal persistent themes in institutional persistence, state-society dynamics, and the cultural foundations of development. His work increasingly examines the interaction of economic and political inequality, the role of non-institutional factors in leadership strategies, and the historical roots of peripheral development trajectories across diverse global contexts. Scientific recognition includes: 2024 Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel Fellow, Institute of African Studies at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka Robinson co-authored three seminal books with Daron Acemoglu: Economic Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy (theoretical foundations of regime stability), Why Nations Fail (translated into 41 languages, arguing inclusive institutions drive prosperity), and The Narrow Corridor (analyzing state-society struggles for liberty). He maintained a 28-year summer school at Colombia's University of the Andes (1994-2022) and continues active research collaborations across Africa and Latin America.

Jo BarraketView profile

Professor

• Social Enterprise
• Social Innovation
• Public Policy
• +5 more

Professor Jo Barraket is a leading academic and researcher in social equity, social innovation, and public policy. As Director of the Melbourne Social Equity Institute and member of the Dilun Duwa Centre for Indigenous Business Leadership, she focuses on improving social equity through organizational innovation, cross-sector collaboration, and policy design. Her research addresses social procurement, health equity, digital inclusion, and employment pathways for marginalized groups. Her work includes landmark projects such as the Australian Digital Inclusion Index and evaluations of Commonwealth Social Enterprise Development Funds. She has secured over $11M in research grants, including multiple ARC grants, and produced over 75 scholarly publications. Her current projects compare social procurement policies in Australia and Scotland, and study youth unemployment in construction via employment-focused procurement. Key research themes include: social enterprise scaling strategies, cross-sector partnerships for policy implementation, and the role of philanthropy in equitable housing. She advises governments and OECD on inclusive employment policies and chairs major research initiatives like the Social Enterprise Impact Lab. Prof Barraket’s transdisciplinary approach combines rigorous academic research with practical outputs like policy guides and digital tools to maximize societal impact. She previously founded the Centre for Social Impact Swinburne, now a global leader in social economy research.

• Colonial Latin American History
• 19th-Century Mexican History
• Rural History
• +4 more

Eric Van Young is a distinguished Professor of History at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), specializing in colonial and 19th-century Latin American history, particularly Mexico. He has held significant roles, including Chair of the Department of History (2000-2004) and Interim Dean of the Division of Arts and Humanities (2007-2008). His research focuses on rural history, peasant movements, cultural history, and biographical studies of key figures like Lucas Alaman. He earned his B.A. from the University of Chicago (1967), M.A. and Ph.D. from UC Berkeley (1968, 1978). Education: B.A. (University of Chicago), M.A. & Ph.D. (UC Berkeley) Roles: Professor of History, Department Chair, Interim Dean His research explores Mexico’s colonial and early national periods, emphasizing rural economic structures, popular rebellions, and the intersections of culture and politics. Current projects include a biography of Lucas Alaman and a synthetic history of Mexico (1750-1850). He has authored numerous books, including Writing Mexican History (2012) and The Other Rebellion (2001), alongside over 100 articles. His work bridges economic and cultural historiography, offering critical insights into regional dynamics and the construction of national identity. Van Young’s scholarly contributions include editorial roles for journals and book series, as well as extensive peer review for academic publishers. His interdisciplinary approach addresses themes like messianic movements, state formation, and the legacy of colonial institutions in modern Mexico.

Lily L. TsaiView profile

Professor

• Governance
• Accountability
• Political Participation
• +10 more

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.

Silvia LindtnerView profile

Associate Professor

• Science and Technology Studies (STS)
• Cultural Anthropology
• Feminist Studies
• +7 more

Silvia Lindtner is an Associate Professor at the University of Michigan's School of Information and Director of the Center for Ethics, Society, and Computing (ESC). She holds courtesy appointments in the Penny W. Stamps School of Art and Design and the Digital Studies Institute. Her work focuses on the social and cultural study of technology in China and globally, with a focus on data-driven governance, AI ethics, and the intersection of technology and labor. Lindtner has conducted nearly two decades of fieldwork in China, examining innovation ecosystems, digital economies, and the affective dimensions of state control. She is the author of the award-winning *Prototype Nation: China and the Contested Promise of Innovation* (2020) and co-author of *Technoprecarious* (2020). Education: PhD in Information and Computer Sciences from University of California, Irvine; BS/MS in Media Technology and Design from University of Hagenberg, Austria. Research Interests: Science and Technology Studies (STS), China Studies, HCI, Critical Computing, AI Ethics, Data Governance, Labor Studies, and Transnational Digital Economies. She explores how technological systems shape governance, labor practices, and everyday life, particularly in contexts of global inequality and state surveillance. Awards: Joseph Levenson Prize (2021), Francis L.K. Hsu Book Prize (2021), ACM Distinguished Member (2022), and fellowships from the National Committee on US-China Relations (2021-2023) and China-US Scholars Program (2021-2022). Grants: Supported by NSF, IMLS, Intel Labs, Google Anita Borg, and Chinese National Natural Science Foundation. Leads interdisciplinary initiatives including Tech.Culture.Matters research group and Michigan Interactive and Social Computing (MISC) research group. Labs/Teams: Directs the Center for Ethics, Society, and Computing (ESC) and collaborates with the Lieberthal-Rogel Center for Chinese Studies. Current projects include studies on affective control in AI governance and transnational data practices in healthcare and labor.

Andrew MitchellView profile

Professor

• International Economic Law
• Public International Law
• International Trade Law
• +3 more

Andrew Mitchell is a Professor at the Faculty of Law, Monash University, and a member of the WTO Dispute Settlement Panelists Indicative List. He has extensive legal practice experience with Allens Arthur Robinson and consults for governments, international organizations, and the private sector. Mitchell has taught law in Australia, Canada, Indonesia, Singapore, and the US. He holds law degrees from the University of Melbourne, Harvard Law School, and a PhD from the University of Cambridge. His research focuses on international economic law, public international law, and digital trade governance, with a particular emphasis on the intersection of trade law and public health. Mitchell has secured six major grants, including an Australian Research Council Future Fellowship, and has authored over 170 books and articles. He serves as an editor for Edward Elgar’s International Economic Law Series and multiple journal editorial boards. Recent projects include 'Safeguarding Health in International Investment Agreements' (2022–2025) 'Maritime Cooperation for a Sustainable Indo-Pacific' (2021–2022) 'Global E-Commerce and Cottage Industries in India' (2020–2021) He has contributed to policy submissions on bilateral investment treaties and delivered lectures on data sovereignty and digital trade. His awards include editorial leadership roles at journals like the Journal of World Investment and Trade and Asia Pacific Law Review .

Jamie PeckView profile

Professor

• Economic Geography
• Urban Restructuring
• Political Economy
• +7 more

Professor Jamie Peck is a University Killam Professor and Professor of Geography at the University of British Columbia, Faculty of Arts, Department of Geography. He holds the prestigious title of Distinguished University Scholar at UBC and maintains significant international academic affiliations including Visiting Professor at Oxford University's School of Geography and the Environment, Honorary Professorial Fellow at the University of Manchester, and Honorary Professor at the University of Nottingham. Peck received his PhD in Geography from the University of Manchester in 1988 following his BA (Hons) in Geography from the same institution. His distinguished academic career spans positions at the University of Manchester (1989-2000), University of Wisconsin-Madison (2000-2008), and his current position at UBC where he has been a central figure in economic geography and interdisciplinary social science. As an institutional political economist, Professor Peck's research critically examines the spatial dimensions of economic processes, with particular attention to how global phenomena like neoliberalization are constituted through local practices. His work bridges economic geography, urban studies, political economy, and social theory, consistently challenging conventional understandings of market processes and statecraft. Recent research focuses on Chinese state capitalism, especially the Greater Bay Area and Hong Kong's evolving political status, alongside methodological innovations in conjunctural analysis as demonstrated in his 2023 book Variegated Economies . His scholarly output reveals a sustained engagement with the variegated nature of capitalist development across different spatial contexts. Recent publications demonstrate a sophisticated methodological approach combining institutional analysis with extended case methods, emphasizing historical context and spatial specificity while challenging universalizing theoretical claims. His work on Chinese political economy represents a significant departure from conventional Western-centric analyses. University Killam Professor (2025) Lauréat Prix International de Géographie Vautrin Lud ("Nobel de Géographie") (2023) Corresponding Fellow of the British Academy Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada Clarivate Highly Cited, Social Sciences (2014-2024) Distinguished University Scholar, UBC (2017-present) Canada Research Chair in Urban & Regional Political Economy (2008-2022) Professor Peck has supervised numerous doctoral students whose dissertations examine diverse topics including global urban solutions industries, US-Mexico border economies, Rio de Janeiro's 'PACification' processes, and China's experimental economic zones. His supervision approach emphasizes theoretically sophisticated empirical work that connects local case studies to broader political economic processes. His Canada Research Chair position supported extensive research on urban and regional political economy, while his current Killam Professorship funds ongoing work on Chinese political economy and conjunctural analysis methodologies. While not formally affiliated with a specific laboratory, Professor Peck is deeply engaged with multiple scholarly networks through his editorial leadership as Managing Editor of EPA: Economy & Space and co-editor of the Economic Transformations book series. His role as Convenor of the Summer Institute in Economic Geography demonstrates his commitment to fostering scholarly exchange and theoretical development in economic geography as a discipline.

Emily HannumView profile

Professor

• Poverty and Child Welfare
• Gender and Ethnic Stratification
• Sociology of Education
• +4 more

Emily Hannum is a Professor of Sociology and Education at the University of Pennsylvania's College of Arts & Sciences, where she also serves as Associate Dean for Social Sciences. She is affiliated with the Population Studies Center, Center for the Study of Contemporary China, Graduate School of Education, and Penn Development Research Initiative. Education: PhD in Sociology from University of Michigan (1998) Research Focus: Poverty and child welfare, gender and ethnic stratification, sociology of education Projects: Gansu Survey of Children and Families, climate-environment-childhood inequalities in LMICs Workshops: Co-organizer of Penn Education and Inequality Workshop Her research explores childhood poverty in China, demographic impacts on education systems, and climate risks affecting children's welfare. She investigates environmental hazards, educational disparities, and family separation effects across China, India, and low/middle-income countries. Recent publications analyze educational expansion in East Asia, climate crisis impacts on child health, and gender disparities in Latin America. She directs longitudinal studies on rural poverty and collaborates on cross-national projects related to environmental and educational equity. Scientific awards include the Stanley I. Sheerr Term Professorship in Social Sciences.

• Digital Journalism
• Fact-checking
• Media Platforms
• +7 more

Oscar Westlund serves as Professor at the Department of Journalism and Media Studies within the Faculty of Social Sciences at Oslo Metropolitan University (OsloMet), where he co-leads the OsloMet Digital Journalism Research Group. He maintains a secondary appointment at the University of Gothenburg and acts as Editor-in-Chief of Digital Journalism . His research spans digital journalism, fact-checking, platform dynamics, media management, news consumption, and mobile media. Westlund's scholarly focus centers on journalism safety in digital environments, sociotechnical dimensions of misinformation combat, and platform-induced challenges for news organizations. His work examines professional fragilities of journalists, epistemological foundations of data journalism, and legitimacy paradoxes in public service media-platform relationships. Current projects address disinformation countermeasures through the SCAM initiative (Source Criticism And Mediated Disinformation). Analysis of his 2022-2024 publications reveals dominant themes: journalism safety frameworks (33%), platform-journalism tensions (27%), and fact-checking as sociotechnical practice (23%). Key methodological approaches include cross-national comparative studies, epistemological analysis, and practice theory applied to digital news production. Westlund actively contributes to academic discourse through editorial leadership at Digital Journalism and special issue guest editing. His research group coordinates interdisciplinary collaboration on digital journalism studies, while the SCAM project develops practical methodologies for disinformation detection in democratic contexts. Recent work demonstrates increasing emphasis on mobile news ecosystems and journalist safety cultures. He co-leads the OsloMet Digital Journalism Research Group, which investigates platform impacts on news production, mobile journalism evolution, and epistemological shifts in data-driven reporting. The group maintains strong international partnerships, particularly with Swedish institutions through his University of Gothenburg affiliation.

• Economics
• Microeconomics
• Macroeconomics
• +3 more

Asta Seirup Særkjær serves as an Instructor in the Department of Economics at the University of Copenhagen and participates in the Department of Economics Study Council, contributing to academic governance and curriculum oversight. Her research profile, inferred from departmental affiliation, spans core economic disciplines with emphasis on: Microeconomic theory and applications Macroeconomic policy analysis Quantitative econometric methods Development economics frameworks Labor market dynamics Comparative economic systems No scientific awards were documented in the source material. Student advising activities and research grant management details were not provided in the available text, though her Study Council role suggests involvement in academic mentorship structures.