معرفی
Hai Ren is a Professor of East Asian Studies and Anthropology at the University of Arizona, with affiliations in the School of Art, Department of Gender and Women’s Studies, and interdisciplinary programs in Social/Cultural Theory and Applied Intercultural Arts Research. He concurrently holds the Bayu Scholar Distinguished Professorship at Sichuan Fine Arts Institute. His research bridges art theory, environmental humanities, and critical theory through projects like the Wanwu Arts Research Lab and Library of the More-Than-Humane.
Ren earned his BA in History/Archaeology from Sichuan University, followed by MA in Museum Studies and PhD in Sociocultural Anthropology from the University of Washington. His teaching focuses on Chinese popular culture, contemporary China’s anthropology, and global creative economies.
Research interests emphasize socially engaged art, planetary crises, new materialism, and Sinophonecene frameworks. Recent work explores how art responds to ecological collapse and redefines citizenship beyond anthropocentrism. Over 40 peer-reviewed publications appear in venues like Verge: Studies in Global Asias and Journal of Urban Affairs, alongside creative installations and curatorial projects.
- Key awards: Bayu Scholar Distinguished Professor (202X–present)
- Key initiatives: Library of the More-Than-Humane (co-directed)
Teaching includes courses on Chinese media, gender in Asia, and thematic explorations of neoliberalism and themed urban spaces. His public art projects like the 100-Year Photography installation in Guizhou exemplify long-term, community-oriented artistic praxis.
