معرفی
Soojung Han serves as Assistant Professor of History at Southwestern University, specializing in Middle Period China and Inner Asia (300-1300 CE). Her interdisciplinary research bridges historical, gender, and ethnic studies to examine diplomatic systems and identity formation across Sino-Inner Asian frontiers, contributing significantly to transnational East Asian historiography.
Education
- Ph.D. in East Asian Studies, Princeton University (2022)
- M.A. in Asian History, Seoul National University
- B.A. in Asian History, Seoul National University
Dr. Han's scholarship centers on ethnicity, gender, and diplomatic politics in medieval Eurasia, with particular emphasis on how marriage alliances and identity construction reshaped power dynamics during the Tang-Song transition. Her work reveals how groups like the Shatuo Turks transformed from migrants to rulers, challenging traditional dynastic narratives through meticulous analysis of frontier societies and imperial women's political roles. This research illuminates broader patterns of cross-cultural exchange and state formation across medieval Asia.
Her recent publications demonstrate consistent methodological innovation in analyzing gendered political structures and ethnic identity systems, with emerging trends showing increasing focus on material culture evidence and transregional comparative frameworks beyond conventional China-centered approaches.
Scientific Awards and Honors
- Teaching Award for Excellence in Instruction, Princeton University (2022)
- Graduate Student Award, Early Medieval China Group Conference (2021)
- Tsang Yee and Wai Kwan Chan So P*71 Fellowship, Princeton University (2018)
- Best Senior Thesis Award, Seoul National University (2007)
- PIIRS Graduate Fellowship, Princeton University (2020-2021)
- Dean's Fellowship, Princeton University (2019-2020)
- Multiple East Asian Studies and Migration Research Fellowships (2014-2019)
Dr. Han actively mentors undergraduate researchers in historical methodology while securing competitive fellowships that support her ethnopolitical research. Her current book project on the Shatuo Turks integrates diplomatic, gender, and material culture approaches to reconstruct Sino-Inner Asian relations, demonstrating how frontier dynamics fundamentally reshaped medieval Eurasian political landscapes beyond conventional dynastic frameworks.
As an engaged scholar, she regularly presents at leading institutions including Harvard, Georgetown, and NYU, translating complex historical analysis into accessible frameworks for undergraduate education while advancing methodological innovation in premodern Asian studies.
