Kien Nghi Ha

Kien Nghi Ha is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Tübingen, affiliated with the Institute of Asian and Oriental Studies and the Department of Korean Studies. He is a leading scholar in Postcolonial Asian German Studies and has held academic and research positions at institutions including New York University, the University of Heidelberg, Bremen, and Bayreuth. His work centers on anti-Asian racism, diaspora, migration, and decolonial theory, and he is actively engaged in public scholarship, curation, and activism.

Education:

• PhD in Cultural and Political Studies, University of Bremen (2009)
• Diploma in Political Science, Freie Universität Berlin (1998)
• Studies in Vietnamology, Humboldt-Universität Berlin (1994–1996)

His research interests include Asian German Studies, postcolonial theory, cultural hybridity, and migration. He has published extensively, including the award-winning monograph Unrein und vermischt (2010), and edited volumes such as Asiatische Deutsche Extended (2021) and Asiatische Präsenzen in der Kolonialmetropole Berlin (2024). His upcoming edited volume on Anti-Asian Racism in Transatlantic Perspectives (2025) reflects his transnational scholarly reach.

The recent publications highlight a consistent focus on institutional racism, memory politics, and decolonial critique, particularly in German contexts. His work bridges academic research with public engagement, often addressing media, education, and cultural institutions.

Scientific Awards:

• Augsburg Science Award for Intercultural Studies (2011)
• Doctoral scholarship from the Heinrich Böll Foundation (2001–2004)
• FAZIT-Foundation publication support (2009)
• Nominated for the Medienpreis Parlament des Deutschen Bundestages (2024)
• DAAD Congress Travel Grant (2024)

Ha has advised on and contributed to curatorial projects, public lectures, and expert panels on anti-racism. He has received grants from the Berlin Senate, the BMBF, and the DAAD. He is a member of the Rat für Migration, korientation e.V., and serves on editorial and advisory boards, reflecting his role in shaping discourse on migration and racism in Germany.

He has curated projects at the Haus der Kulturen der Welt and Hebbel am Ufer, and his research has informed exhibitions such as "Mauergeschichten revisited" and "DARE: Decolonize Anti-Asian Racist Entanglements." His involvement in public events, media commentary, and academic conferences underscores his commitment to knowledge transfer and social change.