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.
Haiyan Lee serves as the Walter A. Haas Professor of the Humanities and Professor of East Asian Languages and Cultures and of Comparative Literature at Stanford University. She has held these positions since joining Stanford in 2009, and currently serves as Chair of the East Asian Languages and Cultures department (2020-present). Her academic journey includes previous teaching appointments at the University of Colorado at Boulder and the University of Hong Kong, along with post-doctoral fellowships at Cornell University and Harvard University. Lee's research spans multiple interdisciplinary fields with particular focus on modern Chinese literature and cultural production. Her work bridges literary studies with law, philosophy, cognitive science, affect theory, gender studies, and environmental humanities. She has developed influential theoretical frameworks including the concept of "high justice" and "low justice" in Chinese legal imagination. Her current research explores animism, cognition, and the Chinese environmental imagination, extending her longstanding interest in human-animal relations. Lee's publications reveal a consistent trajectory examining Chinese cultural production through innovative theoretical lenses. Her recent work shows increasing engagement with legal theory, environmental humanities, and cognitive approaches to literature. She has produced significant scholarship on Chinese concepts of justice, love, and the stranger, moving across historical periods from early 20th century to contemporary China. Biennial Book Prize, Honorable Mention, International Society for Chinese Law and History (ISCLH) (2024) Humanities Seed Grant, Stanford School of Humanities and Sciences (2023-2025) Bass Fellowship in Undergraduate Education, Stanford University (2022-2027) Joseph Levenson Book Prize, The Association for Asian Studies (2009) Professor Lee actively mentors doctoral students across multiple disciplines, serving as dissertation advisor, co-advisor, and committee member for students working at the intersection of Chinese studies, law, literature, and cultural theory. Her teaching includes courses across East Asian humanities, comparative literature, and interdisciplinary environmental studies. She has received significant research support including the Frederick Burkhardt Residential Fellowship from the American Council of Learned Societies and a residency at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences.
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.
Professor David A Palmer is a distinguished academic jointly appointed by the Hong Kong Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences and the Department of Sociology at the University of Hong Kong, where he has been teaching since 2008. His interdisciplinary work bridges anthropology, sociology, religious studies, and Sinology, establishing him as a leading scholar in Chinese religious studies and transnational religious movements. Palmer's educational background includes a PhD in Anthropology of Religion from Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes (Sorbonne, Paris), an MPhil in Clinical Psychology/Medical Anthropology from University of Paris-VIII, and a BA in Anthropology and East Asian Studies from McGill University. His scholarly contributions span multiple disciplines with particular emphasis on Chinese religious traditions and their global manifestations. His research interests focus on the anthropology and sociology of spirituality and religion, especially Daoism and Chinese religion; religion in modern and contemporary China; inter-Asian and transnational religious circulations; Baháʼí Faith; civil society, volunteering, philanthropy, community engagement; and cultural and religious interactions on the Belt and Road. His work examines how religious traditions navigate modernity, state power, and globalization, with particular attention to the Belt and Road Initiative's cultural dimensions. Palmer's publications reveal a consistent focus on understanding Chinese religious traditions within broader theoretical frameworks of social theory, civil society, and transnational religious networks. His articles demonstrate how Chinese religious practices and institutions both adapt to and shape contemporary social and political contexts, with particular attention to the intersections of spirituality, modernity, and state-society relations. Joseph Levenson Award of the Association for Asian Studies PROSE award of the American Publishers' Association Francis L.K. Hsu Award of the Society for East Asian Anthropology Edward Bruner Prize for the best book in Anthropology of Tourism HK Research Grants Council RGC Research Fellowship (2021-2025) HK Research Grants Council Humanities and Social Sciences Prestigious Fellowship (2019) Palmer currently leads multiple significant research projects including 'Global China, Local Cultures: Chinese Modernity and Soft Power on the Belt and Road' (RGC Research Fellowship, 2021-2025), 'Infrastructures of Faith: Religious Mobilities on the Belt and Road' (CRF, 2019-2023), 'Rituals and Manuscripts of the Lanten Yao (Laos)' (GRF, 2021-2024), and 'Religious Cosmopolitanism in China, 1895-1927' (GRF, 2021-2024). He leads the 'Asian Religious Connections' research cluster at HKIHSS, co-convenes the 'Culture, Community and Social Equity' research cluster in the HKU Faculty of Social Sciences, and serves as co-convenor of the HKU Anthropology Research Network. As President of the East Asian Society for the Scientific Study of Religion, he plays a key role in advancing scholarly understanding of religion in the region.
Norman M. Naimark serves as the Robert & Florence McDonnell Professor of East European Studies and Professor of History at Stanford University, with courtesy appointments in German Studies. He holds senior fellowships at both the Hoover Institution and Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, and is affiliated with The Europe Center and the Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law. Education: Ph.D. in History, Stanford University (1972) Naimark specializes in Soviet-era Eastern European history, with dual research pillars: Soviet policies in post-WWII Europe and 20th-century genocide/ethnic cleansing phenomena. His work bridges historical analysis with contemporary human rights discourse, emphasizing geopolitical power dynamics and systematic violence against civilian populations. Methodologically, he combines archival rigor with comparative frameworks across national contexts. His publication trajectory from 1979–2019 reveals evolving focus from Marxist movements in partitioned Poland to Soviet occupation mechanics, culminating in comprehensive genocide studies. The 2019 monograph on Stalin's postwar European sovereignty struggles synthesizes decades of research into Soviet imperial practices. Scientific awards: Officer's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (1996) Richard W. Lyman Award for outstanding faculty volunteer service (1995) Stanford Dean's Teaching Award (1991-92, 2002-3) Naimark's academic leadership includes directing Stanford's Global Studies Division, Bing Overseas Studies Program, and Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies. His research informs current policy discussions on authoritarianism and democratic resilience, as evidenced by recent engagements with Belarusian democracy movements and U.S.-Russia relations. He collaborates extensively through Stanford's interdisciplinary centers, particularly contributing historical perspectives to The Europe Center's sovereignty research and the Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law's governance initiatives.
Alaina Lemon is a Professor of Anthropology at the University of Michigan, affiliated with the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LSA). She serves as Director of Undergraduate Studies in Anthropology and holds affiliations with the Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies (CREES), the Weiser Center for Europe and Eurasia, and the Interdepartmental Program in Anthropology and History. Her research focuses on socio-cultural anthropology, performance studies, and visual culture, with expertise in Russia, the Romani diaspora, and post-Socialist states. Education: BA in Anthropology (University of Wisconsin, 1987), MA (University of Chicago, 1988), and PhD (University of Chicago, 1996). Notable awards include the Wayne S. Vucinich Book Prize (2001), Heldt Book Prize (2001), and a 2023 visiting scholar position at the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (Paris). Her work bridges historical and contemporary issues, exploring themes like phatic labor, media infrastructures, and affective politics. Recent projects include editing the documentary Tremors (2023) and researching Soviet-era moral projects through studies of Moscow’s Metro and canine-human interactions. Lemon’s interdisciplinary approach integrates performance studies, linguistic anthropology, and critical race theory to analyze cultural dynamics in transitional societies. Grants include a 2019-2024 University of Michigan Office of Research grant for film collaboration and a 2002-2003 International Research and Exchanges Board fellowship. She has authored influential books such as Between Two Fires (2000) and Technologies for Intuition (2017), and her films document Romani experiences and urban cultural phenomena.
David Sneath serves as Director of the Mongolia and Inner Asia Studies Unit (MIASU) at the University of Cambridge, holding the position of Professor of Social Anthropology and Fellowship at Corpus Christi College. His work centers on Inner Asian societies, with extensive fieldwork among Mongolian pastoralist communities and leadership in major transnational research initiatives. Professor Sneath completed his PhD at Cambridge in 1991 and received a British Academy Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in 1994 for studies on environment-society dynamics in Inner Asia. His academic trajectory includes a Lectureship in Anthropology and Development at Oxford University (1998-2000) prior to returning to Cambridge. His research explores socio-political transformations in post-socialist Mongolia, examining intersections of kinship, state structures, environmental governance, and cultural identity. Current projects address water resource management across trans-border Asian rivers, climate histories, oral histories of 20th-century Mongolia, and Mongolian-Chinese border healing practices, reflecting his interdisciplinary approach to Inner Asian studies. His publications reveal evolving scholarly focus from foundational analyses of pastoral society-state relations (2000) through theoretical examinations of nomadic political orders (2007) to contemporary investigations of post-socialist cultural reconfiguration (2018), consistently emphasizing Mongolian agency within global systems. Academic recognition includes: British Academy Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (1994) Professor Sneath actively supervises PhD candidates in Social Anthropology while directing MIASU's collaborative research portfolio, which includes Climate Histories, Pathways to Understanding Climate Change, and the Mongolian Cosmopolitical Heritage project. His work integrates anthropological fieldwork with historical and environmental analysis across multiple international partnerships. As MIASU Director, he maintains the unit's role as a global hub for Inner Asian scholarship through the journal Inner Asia (which he co-edits), research seminars, and the Chinggis Khaan Grant program, fostering connections between Cambridge scholars and Mongolian research communities.
Professor Agnieszka Zabłocka-Kos is a faculty member at the Institute of Art History, University of Wrocław, specializing in Central European architectural history and urbanism. Her work focuses on 19th-20th century architecture, with particular emphasis on Wrocław/Breslau, including post-war reconstruction, national identity construction, and sacred space design. Professor, University of Wrocław Specialist in 19th-20th century Central European architecture Director of postdoctoral internships (NCN FUGA III) Recipient of multiple Rector's awards for research and teaching Research Themes: Urban development in Central Europe, political architecture in Poland/Germany, sacred architecture of the 19th century, post-war modernism, industrial architecture revitalization. Her students have produced award-winning theses on topics like Wrocław urban blocks, Silesian architects, and post-industrial adaptations. Scientific Contributions: Notable works include the edited volume Architecture in the 'long' 19th century (2019), multiple articles on Breslau's architectural conflicts, and international projects on Central European sacred architecture. She has supervised 33 master's and 5 doctoral theses, with several student works published as books. Dettloff Prize for dissertation (1992) Rector's awards for research and didactic achievements International projects with universities in Berlin, Freiburg, and Leipzig Advisor for Wrocław's Monument Office and City Development Bureau Her teaching integrates interdisciplinary approaches, linking art history with political, economic, and social contexts. She promotes student research popularization through conferences, exhibitions, and publications.
İBRAHİM ERDEM SEÇİLMİŞ is a Professor of Economics at Hacettepe University's Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences. His research focuses on experimental economics, public goods theory, behavioral economics, and tax policy with notable contributions to understanding risk perception, social discount rates, and creative industries in Mediterranean economies. He has authored/co-authored over 40 peer-reviewed publications and edited several academic volumes. Key research areas include: Experimental analysis of public goods provision Behavioral responses to environmental policies Comparative analysis of social discount rates in transition economies Evaluation of tax reforms through behavioral lenses Impact of cultural industries on regional development Notable publications include seminal works on Turkish presidential election policies (2025), risk aversion in public goods (2019), and Mediterranean creative industries (2016). His work frequently bridges theoretical economics with policy applications, particularly focusing on sustainability and social equity. He has presented at international conferences such as the Regional Studies Association European Conference (2014) and contributed to edited volumes on game theory applications and economic philosophy. Current research trends emphasize behavioral tax policy design and the socio-economic consequences of rising inequality.
Marysol Quevedo is an Associate Professor at the University of Miami's Frost School of Music, specializing in musicology with a focus on Cuban and Puerto Rican musical cultures. Her research explores intersections between music, politics, and identity in post-revolutionary Cuba and the Caribbean diaspora. Research Themes: Cuban avant-garde music and revolutionary ideology Film music analysis (e.g., Leo Brouwer's scores) Cultural diplomacy through symphonic institutions Puerto Rican music historiography Public ethnomusicology and community engagement Publication Trends: Analyzes Cuban composers' negotiation of socialist values with global artistic movements, emphasizing music's role in ideological narratives through film scores, symphonic programming, and diasporic cultural preservation.
Rachel Applebaum is Associate Professor of History at Tufts University specializing in Soviet and Eastern European history, the global Cold War, and transnational studies. Her award-winning book 'Empire of Friends' examines Soviet-Czechoslovak relations through the lens of socialist internationalism. Current research investigates Russian language politics during and after the Cold War, tracing Soviet efforts to establish Russian as a global language and its legacy in Putin's 'Russian World' concept. The project has received a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship. Teaching covers Russian history surveys, Eastern Europe, global communism, Stalinism, and Cold War politics. Awards include the Radomír Luža Prize for Austrian/Czechoslovak history and ASEEES First Book Subvention Award.
Peter C. Caldwell is the Samuel G. McCann Professor of History at Rice University and Director of the Program in Politics, Law, and Social Thought. He specializes in modern European history with a focus on Germany, constitutionalism, welfare state development, and political thought. His research spans Weimar Republic legal crises, postwar West Germany, and 19th/20th-century intellectual movements. Education: PhD (1993), MA (1989), and BA (1987) from Cornell University, New York University. Awards include the George R. Brown Award for Teaching (2016) and Humboldt Fellowship. He has authored/co-authored major works like Democracy, Capitalism, and the Welfare State (2019) and Germany Since 1945 (2018, 2023 revision). Teaching focuses on European political history, comparative welfare states, and 19th-century political thought. Current research examines democratic rhetoric in contemporary Mexican politics and authoritarian constitutionalism. Advised over a dozen undergraduate theses on topics ranging from Weimar Republic legal theory to Cold War historiography. Publications span German constitutional history, Cold War dynamics, and East German politics. His work bridges legal, economic, and cultural dimensions of modern European history with interdisciplinary approaches to political theory.
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.
Pavle Levi serves as the Osgood Hooker Professor of Fine Arts and Department Chair within Stanford University's Art Department, where he leads the Film and Media Studies Program. His academic position anchors interdisciplinary scholarship bridging cinematic theory, historical analysis, and contemporary art practice within the university's intellectual ecosystem. Levi's research interrogates the complex interplay between cinematic form and ideological frameworks, with concentrated expertise in East European film history, experimental media practices, and the philosophical dimensions of visual representation. His scholarship consistently examines how aesthetic choices negotiate political contexts, particularly through avant-garde and non-narrative film traditions that challenge conventional cinematic language. This work extends into contemporary art discourse, modern art movements, and the evolving relationship between scientific inquiry and artistic production. His publication trajectory reveals a sustained investigation into cinema's material boundaries and perceptual impacts, moving from historical analyses of film disintegration to contemporary explorations of cinematic consciousness. These works collectively establish a critical framework for understanding film as both cultural artifact and sensory experience, emphasizing the destabilizing potential of experimental techniques across temporal contexts. Scientific recognition includes: Gores Award for Excellence in Teaching (2011)
Dr. phil. Andrej Holm is a Researcher at the Institute of Social Sciences , Humboldt University of Berlin, specializing in Urban and Regional Sociology . As a Women's Representative and active academic, he focuses on gentrification, housing policy in international comparison, and European urban policy. His work bridges academia and activism, contributing to housing referendums and social movement analysis. Research Themes : Gentrification dynamics, financialization of housing, socio-ecological housing transformation, and post-socialist urban development. Key Projects : Expert analysis for Berlin housing socialization referendum (2022), comparative studies on Amsterdam/Barcelona/Berlin/Vienna (2022), and social infrastructure reconceptualization (2021). Holm's publications span urban policy critiques and housing justice , with recent 2025 works examining financial investors' impact on Berlin housing and pandemic-era housing conditions. His research integrates political economy with spatial inequality frameworks.
