Derek Kramer

Dr. Derek Kramer serves as Lecturer in Korean Studies within the East Asian Studies department at the School of Languages, Arts and Societies, University of Sheffield. His research examines modern Korea through the lens of science, technology, and infrastructure history in twentieth-century East Asia, employing comparative frameworks to situate regional developments within global historical dynamics.

His educational background includes:

• BA from Calvin College
• MA from University of Toronto
• PhD from University of Toronto (2021)

Dr. Kramer's research centers on the intersection of political liberation and scientific revolution, particularly through his book project "A New Kind of Energy: the Atomic Age in the Cold War Koreas". This work comparatively analyzes post-1945 North and South Korean engagements with atomic science, tracing how postcolonial political identities formed through responses to nuclear technology. His methodology emphasizes sociopolitical dimensions over technical proliferation narratives, revealing atomic science as foundational to Cold War nation-building.

His recent publications demonstrate consistent focus on infrastructure, colonial legacies, and scientific encounters across East Asia. Articles span Korean responses to atomic bombings, transportation networks in the Japanese Empire, and missionary science in colonial contexts—revealing patterns where technological systems become sites of ideological contestation and identity formation in postcolonial states.

Dr. Kramer teaches specialized courses including "History of Infrastructure, Industry, and Innovation in East Asia," "The Japanese Modern Empire," "The Cold War in East Asia," and "Modern Korean History," drawing directly from his archival research on Korea's scientific and technological modernization.