Sponsors: The Carter Center, China Research Center, The Hightower Fund of Emory College, Emory College Global History Fund, Emory Department of History, Emory REALC
Speakers: Dr. Zhang Jian, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
Zhang Jian’s exciting work is shedding new light on the history of Ming and Qing China and on the global history of war and peace. He is one of the most prominent young scholars of Qing history in the People’s Republic of China and a member of the prestigious Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (中國社會科學院).
In his talk at Emory, Zhang Jian will explore how Eurocentric narratives of military advance are challenged by new research in Chinese, Manchu, and Korean sources, raising questions about deeper questions in global history, most notably the Great Divergence Debate (why and when did the “West” open up an economic, technological, and military lead over the rest of the world, and particularly China). Zhang’s work interfaces directly with the work of Tonio Andrade and his students, particularly PhD students Michael Chung and Wang Yuan.
The talk will be open to all members of the Emory community, with students particularly encouraged to attend. Given Emory graduate students’ interest in global history and international studies, we expect a good turnout by PhD students, who we expect will also receive informal mentoring from Dr. Zhang. There is also a group of undergraduates who are highly interested in Qing history, including two outstanding students in the history honor’s society.
