Hansun Hsiung

Dr. Hansun Hsiung is an Assistant Professor in the School of Modern Languages and Cultures at Durham University, with affiliations to the Institute of Medieval and Early Modern Studies. His research focuses on the global history of knowledge, combining media history, book history, and the history of science. He earned a BA from Yale and a PhD from Harvard, with postdoctoral fellowships at the Max Planck Institute and Humboldt University. His work examines print networks between Japan and Western Europe, the history of AI and information society in Japan, and 'fringe' science through cases like thoughtography. His research has been supported by the Mellon Foundation, Fulbright Program, and others.

Key research interests include the history of science, global history, media studies, and the history of medicine and technology. He has published in journals like Isis, Osiris, and PMLA, and edited special issues on topics like temporality in knowledge production and gender in science. Awards include a Senior Fellowship at the Mellon Society of Fellows in Critical Bibliography.

His current projects explore AI origins in Japan and the global history of 'fringe' science. He collaborates with Kyoto University’s Yasuhiro Okazawa on media theory and televisual technologies. Grants include funding from the Japan Foundation, DNP Foundation, and others. He advises postgraduate students in history of science/technology/medicine and media studies with interdisciplinary links to these fields.