Michael Tsin

Michael Tsin is an Associate Professor and Earl N. Phillips Jr. Distinguished Professor of International Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His research focuses on social processes of identity formation in modern China, global capitalism's impact, and historical transformations. He holds an MA from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London (1983) and a PhD from Princeton University (1991).

His research explores how ideas and practices become societal norms, particularly through late 19th-20th century Chinese history. He examines global capitalism's role via colonial and transnational mechanisms. Courses taught include Chinese history surveys, modern Chinese studies, and global colonial encounters.

Key publications include Worlds Together, Worlds Apart (2014), a global history textbook, and articles on penal practices in imperial China and state-society dynamics. He advises graduate students in collaborative projects with faculty like Michelle King.