Maura Dykstra

Maura Dykstra is an Assistant Professor of History at Yale University since 2023, with previous roles at the California Institute of Technology (2016–2023) and Harvard University. She is associated with the Max Planck Institute for Legal History and Legal Theory in Frankfurt, Germany, and has participated in international research fellowships and conferences.

• PhD in History, University of California, Los Angeles (2014)
• MA in History, University of California, Los Angeles (2008)

Her research focuses on comparative early modern empires, bureaucratic history, and the political economy of the Ming and Qing dynasties. She investigates the evolution of Chinese legal traditions from the late imperial period to the present day, emphasizing institutions and normative frameworks.

Her 2022 publication on Qing administrative revolution reflects broader trends in her work, linking legal practices to imperial governance. She contributes to collaborative projects like the Chinese legal tradition series at the Max Planck Institute, which organizes conferences on case law and codification in Chinese history.

• Fellow, Max Planck Institute for the History of Science, Berlin (2019)
• ACLS Postdoctoral Fellow (2015–2016)
• An Wang Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard University (2014–2015)
• Research Fellow, Taiwan Center for Chinese Studies (2013)