معرفی
Benjamin Ridgway is an Assistant Professor of Chinese in the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures at Swarthmore College, currently on leave. His academic work intersects with Medieval Studies, Environmental Studies, Asian Studies, Linguistics, and Comparative Literature programs.
His research centers on Classical Chinese Poetry—especially the works of Su Shi (1037-1101)—Travel Literature, pre-14th century Urban Space representations in texts, and Word-Image dynamics in Chinese Poetry and Painting. He is actively investigating how Hangzhou became an imperial capital during the 12th–13th centuries, analyzing literary contributions to urban identity formation; this includes a published chapter in Senses of the City: Perceptions of Hangzhou & Southern Song China (CUHK Press, 2017).
Ridgway prioritizes immersive language education, guiding students from practical communication (e.g., ordering food) to advanced literary analysis of classical forms like parallel couplets. He organizes extracurricular cultural excursions to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Sofuso Garden, and New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, integrating tangible art experiences with coursework on Chinese literature and visual culture.
