Find Academic Supervisors

Christopher Rea is a Professor of Modern Chinese Literature in the Department of Asian Studies at the University of British Columbia's Faculty of Arts. He serves as a faculty member and former Associate Head of the Department of Asian Studies, former Director of the Centre for Chinese Research, an associate of the Hong Kong Studies Initiative, and a Faculty Fellow of St. John's College. His academic journey includes a Ph.D. from Columbia University (2008) and a B.A. from Dartmouth College (1999). Rea's research focuses on the modern Chinese-speaking world, with particular expertise in Chinese literature, cinema, print culture, translation, and the cultural history of humor and deception. His scholarly approach bridges literary analysis, cultural history, and film studies, creating a distinctive interdisciplinary perspective on modern Chinese cultural production. He is particularly known for his work on Republican-era China (1912-1949), exploring how cultural forms evolved during this transformative period. His major publications reveal a trajectory from studies of humor and laughter in modern China ( The Age of Irreverence , 2015) to literary hoaxes and deception ( The Book of Swindles , 2017), Chinese cinema ( Chinese Film Classics , 2021), and research methodology ( Where Research Begins , 2022). His current projects include China on the Make: Stories of Chinese Deception and The Unfinished Comedy , a sequel to The Age of Irreverence . National Endowment for the Arts Translation Fellowship (2024) UBC Dean of Arts Mentorship Award (2024) UBC Killam Research Prize (2022) Joseph Levenson Book Prize (2017) Rea actively supervises graduate students and has developed significant digital resources, including the Chinese Film Classics project (chinesefilmclassics.org) featuring 40+ subtitled Chinese films and 22 video lectures, and a YouTube channel with over 250 videos on Chinese cinema and culture. His teaching extends to free online courses on The Modern Chinese Novel and early Chinese cinema, demonstrating his commitment to making scholarly resources accessible beyond traditional academic boundaries.

• Modern Chinese literature
• Cinema and film history
• Cultural history
• +5 more

Kuiyi Shen is Professor of Asian Art History, Theory, and Criticism at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), where he also serves as Vice Chair and Director of the PhD Program in the Department of Visual Arts. He is affiliated with the Division of Arts and Humanities and maintains an active research, teaching, and curatorial practice focused on Chinese and Japanese art, particularly modern and contemporary Chinese art and Sino-Japanese artistic exchanges. BA in Fine Arts, Shanghai Normal University MA and PhD in Art History, The Ohio State University Shen's research centers on the evolution of Chinese art in the modern era, with emphasis on ink art, unofficial art movements, and the interplay between tradition and modernity. His work explores how political, social, and transnational forces have shaped artistic expression in China, particularly during transformative periods such as the late Qing, Republican era, and post-Cultural Revolution decades. He is deeply engaged in the study of literati painting, Buddhist art, and mass visual culture, including posters and illustrated magazines. The 15 most recent publications and exhibition catalogs reflect a consistent focus on modern and contemporary Chinese ink art, unofficial art practices, and cross-cultural dialogues. Key themes include the reinvention of tradition, the role of Japan in modern Chinese art, and the emergence of independent artistic voices during politically repressive periods. His scholarly output spans academic monographs, co-edited volumes, and curatorial projects that bridge East and West. Notable scientific achievement: 2013 ICAS Book Prize in Humanities for Arts of Modern China Shen has advised numerous exhibition projects and served on international juries, including the Guggenheim Museum and the International Awards for Art Criticism. He has held academic positions at Ohio University, SUNY Buffalo, Rice University, and the University of Oregon before joining UCSD. He is Managing Editor of Brill’s Modern Asian Art and Visual Culture book series, underscoring his leadership in the global academic community. His teaching includes courses on Chinese and Japanese art, landscape painting, and contemporary art and mass culture. Shen has curated or consulted on over 20 major exhibitions worldwide, including A Century in Crisis (Guggenheim), Blooming in the Shadows (China Institute), and Light before Dawn (Asia Society), demonstrating his dual expertise in scholarship and curatorial practice.

• Asian Art History
• Chinese Art
• Japanese Art
• +12 more

Xun Liu is an Associate Professor of History at Rutgers University , specializing in the history of Daoism in Late Imperial and Modern China . Affiliated with the School of Arts and Sciences , Liu's research explores the interplay between Daoist temples, local society, and state modernization efforts in Nanyang, central China, from the 17th century to the present. Research Focus: Liu's work bridges Chinese history , religious studies , and urban sociology . Key themes include: Daoist temples as cultural and social institutions Neidan (inner alchemy) practices in urban settings State-religion dynamics during modernization Material culture and female piety in Daoism Recent Publications: His scholarship analyzes Daoism's adaptation to Republican-era Shanghai print culture, Qing military collaborations in Nanyang, and 20th-century spiritual travel narratives. Articles appear in Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies , T’oung Pao , and Late Imperial China . Awards: Recognized with grants from the Chiang Ching-Kuo Foundation , ACLS , and CNRS , Liu has held prestigious fellowships at Harvard University and UC Berkeley.

• Chinese History
• Daoism
• Religious History
• +4 more

Ting Zhang is an Associate Professor and Associate Department Chair in the Department of History at the University of Maryland. She specializes in cultural and legal history of late imperial China, with a focus on print culture, legal knowledge dissemination, and information networks in the Qing Dynasty. Her research challenges traditional narratives about Chinese legal insularity, emphasizing the role of commercial publishing in shaping legal consciousness. Education: B.A. and M.A. from Peking University Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University Research Interests: Early Modern History, East Asia, History of Information, Legal History, Print Culture, Qing Dynasty Studies. Her current project explores public notices and information networks in Qing China, examining state-society dynamics and legal authority. Awards & Fellowships: Henry Luce Foundation/ACLS China Studies Fellowship John W. Kluge Center at the Library of Congress Fellowship Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation Fellowship China Scholarship Council Grant Teaching & Engagement: Taught at Peking University, Johns Hopkins, University of Delaware, and UC San Diego. Active in promoting cross-cultural historical scholarship and digital archiving. Labs/Teams: Collaborates with global networks in book history and legal studies, leveraging digital tools for historical analysis.

• Early Modern History
• East Asian History
• History of Information
• +3 more

Yun Zhou is a Lecturer at the School of Culture, History and Language, Australian National University, holding a PhD from ANU. Her research centers on Christianity in East Asia, gender dynamics in missionary work, and women's periodicals in Republican China. She investigates transnational religious networks and gendered narratives in historical contexts, with particular focus on Chinese Christian communities. Publications analyze missionary literature and women's evangelical publications during transformative periods in modern Chinese history. Recent scholarly outputs include critical book reviews on modern Chinese historiography and extensive work on missionary publications. No explicit awards or student advising roles are documented in available materials.

• Christianity in East Asia
• Gender and Mission Studies
• Women's Periodicals
• +2 more

Doris Sung is an Assistant Professor of Art History specializing in East Asian Art at the University of Alabama's Department of Art History. Her research focuses on early modern, modern, and contemporary art of East Asia, cultural interactions between Asia and Europe, and gender and visual culture. She holds a PhD and MFA from York University, Toronto. Key projects include her monograph Women of Chinese Modern Art: Gender and Reforming Traditions in National and Global Spheres, 1900s–1930s , the digital humanities project Global Makers: Women Artists in the Early Modern Courts , and contributions to the AWARE research database on women artists. She has secured grants from the College Art Association, Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation, and others. Dr. Sung previously served as assistant curator at the Peabody Essex Museum and project coordinator for research initiatives on Chinese popular press and gender studies. She teaches courses on Asian art history, including modern Chinese art, imperial China, and East Asian print culture. Her scholarly work explores themes such as female artists' roles in cultural diplomacy, transnational feminist art practices, and the intersection of art and gender in historical contexts. Recent presentations include lectures at Chiba University and the Feminist Art History Conference.

• Art History
• East Asian Art
• Gender Studies
• +4 more

John Christopher (Chris) Hamm is a Professor in the Department of Asian Languages & Literature at the University of Washington. His expertise spans Chinese Film/Cinema, Literature, and Print Culture, with a focus on late Qing and early Republican-era fiction. He holds a Ph.D. in East Asian Languages from UC Berkeley (1999), an M.A. in Chinese Literature from UC Berkeley (1994), and a B.A. in Medieval Studies from Princeton University (1978). His research projects include analyses of Xiang Kairan's martial arts fiction and the interplay of text and image in early modern Chinese literature. He teaches courses on Chinese literature and culture and contributes to interdisciplinary programs in Asian Studies. Affiliations include the Language Programs in multiple Asian languages. No scientific awards or grants are explicitly listed in the provided text. His current research emphasizes Republican-era xiaoshuo and visual culture, reflecting his deep engagement with historical and cultural transitions in East Asia.

• Chinese Film/Cinema
• Literature
• Novel/Prose Fiction
• +4 more

Dr Andrea Janku is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of History at SOAS University of London, part of the School of History, Religions and Philosophies. She holds an MA and PhD from the University of Heidelberg and studied Chinese literature in Shanghai. Her research focuses on China’s social and intellectual history, with recent emphasis on environmental history and disaster studies, particularly famine experiences in late Qing and Republican eras. Education: MA and PhD in Classical and Modern Sinology (University of Heidelberg) Chinese literature studies (Shanghai) Research Interests: Dr Janku’s work examines how disasters shaped Chinese society, analyzing famine relief efforts, environmental change, and cultural responses to calamities. She has conducted extensive research on Linfen County’s environmental history and co-edited volumes on global disaster contexts. Her current projects explore landscapes of production/consumption and transnational disaster relief networks. Publications Overview: Her articles and book chapters critically analyze famine narratives, disaster relief mechanisms, and historical discourses in Chinese press. Recent work includes studies on Ming-Qing epidemic responses and 19th-century Shanghai’s press landscape. Awards & Grants: No scientific awards explicitly mentioned in provided texts. Supervision & Collaboration: Supervised over ten PhD students focusing on topics like Ming-Qing trans-femininity, missionary education, and Republican postal systems. Collaborates on environmental history projects and international disaster studies networks.

• History of Disasters in Early Modern China
• Environmental History
• Social and Intellectual History of China
• +3 more

Kenichiro Shimizu is Professor at Waseda University’s Faculty of Education and Integrated Arts and Sciences and concurrently Professor Emeritus at Hokkaido University. Holding a University of Tokyo doctorate in Chinese literature, he has held faculty positions since 1994, spanning Chinese literature, East-Asian media history, tourism studies and language education. Education: Doctor of Literature, University of Tokyo (1994) – Chinese Language and Literature M. Lit., University of Tokyo (1991) – Chinese Language and Literature B.A., University of Tokyo (1989) – Chinese Language and Literature Research interests encompass modern Chinese literature, socio-cultural history of Republican China, East-Asian media history, peace and non-war movements, and tourism studies. His recent work explores the birth of mass tourism in 1920s–30s China, multilingual VR campus guides, and transnational peace-education networks. Publication trends reveal a long-term focus on Republican-era Chinese print culture, readership, and media, later expanding into tourism history and digital language education. Recent articles connect historical peace movements with contemporary educational technology. Awards & recognition: Excellent Teachers Award, Hokkaido University (2021) President’s Award for Outstanding Education, Hokkaido University (2016) Good Reviewer Award, JSPS (2014) Academic Encouragement Award, Mishima Kaiun Memorial Foundation (1995) Grants & projects: Principal investigator on JSPS Kakenhi projects concerning Chinese mass-tourism history and East-Asian tourism in the augmented-reality era; led university grants for VR-based language learning and AI-assisted hospitality communication. Professional service: Councillor of the Japan Chinese Language Proficiency Test Association since 2010; frequent keynote speaker and adviser on cultural-landscape preservation and high-school Chinese education events.

• Chinese literature
• East-Asian media history
• Tourism studies
• +3 more

Yuming He is an Associate Professor of Chinese at the University of California, Davis. Her research focuses on late-imperial China (14th–19th centuries), with emphasis on dramatic performance, textual/visual culture, and book history. She previously taught at Reed College and the University of Chicago. Her award-winning book Home and the World examines Ming-dynasty woodblock printing and received the 2015 Joseph Levenson Book Prize. Education includes a Ph.D. from UC Berkeley and B.A./M.A. degrees from Peking University. Her teaching spans classical Chinese literature, drama studies, and cultural history, including courses like Traditional Chinese Fiction and Introduction to Classical Chinese . Research interests integrate material culture with intellectual history, particularly how texts and visual media shaped social narratives. Her articles explore topics like Ming-era ethnography, performative challenges in classical plays, and foundational theories of Chinese drama. Beyond publications, she has held the Chancellor's Fellow title at UC Davis (2016–2021).

• Late-Imperial Chinese History
• Book History
• Dramatic Performance
• +3 more

Pablo Blitstein is a French-Argentine historian and Lecturer (Maître de conférences) at the School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences (EHESS) , affiliated with the GEHM research team at the Centre de Recherches Historiques (CRH) in Paris. His work bridges Chinese imperial history with global intellectual history, focusing on the political languages of the Chinese mandarinate and its transcultural connections with Europe and the Americas. Education : PhD in history (INALCO, 2012) under Anne Cheng and François Martin; Master's in Chinese Studies (INALCO, 2007); BA in Classical Letters (UBA, 2006) Blitstein's research investigates the genealogy of socio-political languages in imperial China, particularly the 4th-7th centuries and late 19th-early 20th centuries. He analyzes how writing practices, spatial metaphors, and bureaucratic concepts shaped governance and knowledge production across civilizations. His recent publications examine the transcultural circulation of political concepts between China and Latin America during reform periods (1895-1911), the evolution of 'economy' as epistemic foundation in late Qing governance, and the paradoxes of modernity in comparative perspective. As co-editor of Prismas. Journal of Intellectual History , he promotes pluralistic intellectual debates. Scientific Recognition : Shortlisted for the ICAS Book Prize 2017 for Les Fleurs du royaume Blitstein contributes to collective projects like A Cultural History of East Asia (Bloomsbury, 2024) and the Cambridge History of Confucianism . His editorial and institutional roles include serving on the labor council of CRH and directing EHESS's Direction de l'image et du son.

• Chinese Mandarinate History
• Genealogy of Socio-Political Practices
• Imperial Chinese Writing Cultures
• +3 more

Zhenzhen Lu is an Assistant Professor at Bates College specializing in Chinese literature and manuscript culture from the 16th to 19th centuries. She holds a PhD from the University of Pennsylvania and has held research positions at the Centre for the Study of Manuscript Cultures at the University of Hamburg and visiting scholar appointments at New York University. Her research examines vernacular literature production, scribal publishing, and performance traditions in late imperial China, with particular expertise in Pu Songling's manuscripts, zidishu storytelling, and 19th-century Beijing's literary markets. She employs interdisciplinary approaches combining material text studies, cultural history, and literary analysis. Professor Lu's extensive publication record demonstrates consistent focus on Chinese manuscript cultures, with recent works exploring the social contexts of textual production, vernacular storytelling traditions, and the interplay between manuscript and print cultures during Qing and Republican eras. Her scholarship contributes significantly to understanding popular literatures and their transmission mechanisms in East Asia.

• Chinese language pedagogy
• late imperial China
• literature and history
• +4 more

Cynthia Brokaw is the Chen Family Professor of China Studies, Professor of History, and Professor of East Asian Studies at Brown University. Her research focuses on the history of the book in late imperial China, emphasizing how textual knowledge was transmitted to non-elite populations and its political/social impacts. She has held fellowships at prestigious institutions like the National Humanities Center and St. John's College, Cambridge. Education: PhD in History from Harvard University (1984), MA (Harvard, 1974), BA (Wellesley, 1972). Research areas include Ming/Qing dynasties, print culture, woodblock publishing, and regional publishing networks. Notable works include Commerce in Culture (2007) and The Ledgers of Merit and Demerit (1991). She teaches courses on Chinese political thought, urban culture, and gender relations. Office: 202 Peter Green Research Interests: Book dissemination networks, cultural integration via texts, and the role of print in social change Awards include the CLIO Teaching Award and multiple NEH grants. Active in professional societies like the Association for Asian Studies and American Historical Association.

• History of China
• Book History
• Late Imperial China
• +5 more

Ming Tak Ted Hui is an Associate Professor specializing in Classical Chinese and Medieval China at the University of Oxford's China Centre. His research focuses on premodern Chinese literary cultures, language policies, and the interplay between spatial poetics and political power. He actively engages with digital humanities methodologies to study historical texts. Key research areas include the history of the book, Mongol Empire literatures, and cultural identity formations through textual analysis. His work bridges traditional philology with contemporary interdisciplinary approaches, producing critical editions and translations of seminal works. Recent publications explore 14th-century court poetry, Yuan dynasty literary canons, and travel narratives' role in imperial discourse. His work demonstrates expertise in both classical Chinese texts and their modern interpretive frameworks. He frequently collaborates with international scholars and contributes to major academic platforms like the Oxford Bibliographies in Chinese Studies. Hui is involved in professional academic services, including editorial roles and doctoral supervision. His translation projects include seminal works on early Chinese historiography and late imperial literature, reflecting his commitment to cross-cultural scholarly exchange.

• Premodern Chinese Literature
• Language Policies and Cultural Identity
• Poetics of Space and Power Politics
• +3 more

Yun Zhu is an Associate Professor at Temple University's College of Liberal Arts, affiliated with the Department of Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures. She is also affiliated with the Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies and Global Studies programs. Her academic work bridges Chinese literature, gender studies, and comparative cultural analysis. PhD in Comparative Literature (University of South Carolina) BA and MA in English (Shanghai International Studies University) Her research focuses on Chinese literature and culture from the late Qing dynasty to the contemporary era, with a strong emphasis on women’s literature, film studies, and translation theory. She explores how female relationships, nostalgia, and cultural memory intersect with broader movements like modernity and globalization. Her recent publications analyze themes such as sisterhood as a narrative framework, the role of translation in shaping Chinese modernity, and gendered representations in historical and contemporary Chinese media. These works often combine interdisciplinary approaches from literary theory, film studies, and postcolonial critique.

• Chinese Literature
• Women and Gender Studies
• Translation Studies
• +3 more