Zhihui Chen

Zhihui Chen is an Associate Professor at Inner Mongolia Normal University specializing in the history of Chinese scientific traditions, with particular expertise in historical astronomy and mathematics. His academic trajectory bridges Chinese and European scholarly institutions through significant research collaborations.

His educational background includes:

• PhD from Shanghai Jiao Tong University (2014) with dissertation on 18th-19th century Chinese astronomy and mathematics
• Postdoctoral research under the SAW ERC project at Laboratoire SPHERE, CNRS—Université Paris 7

Chen's research centers on cosmological knowledge systems in late imperial China (1368–1911), examining how astronomical practices like gnomon shadow measurement intersected with political ideology and cultural identity. His work reveals the sophisticated integration of indigenous Chinese mathematical traditions with Western influences during the Qing Dynasty's Qian-Jia era. He investigates how concepts like the 'Center of the Earth' were materialized through instruments such as the Duke of Zhou’s Gnomon Shadow-Measuring Tablet, demonstrating how scientific practices served imperial legitimacy.

His publications consistently explore the transmission and transformation of astronomical knowledge across cultural boundaries, with particular attention to instrumentation techniques and their philosophical implications in premodern East Asia.

No scientific awards were mentioned in available sources.

Chen has secured research support through prestigious international collaborations including the SAW ERC project and the Max Planck Partner Group 'Daily Practices of Cosmological Knowledge in Late Imperial China.' While no student advisement details are public, his work involves significant cross-institutional knowledge exchange. The text indicates no current active projects.

He maintains scholarly connections through his Senior Research Fellowship with the Max Planck Partner Group, contributing to global research networks focused on non-Western scientific traditions.