Main content
Yuan WangGraduate Student
Born and raisied in the Lower Yangzi Delta, I am interested in probing China's unique way to modern prosperity, examined in a global context since early modern period. To fully appreciate China’s different development path, I look beyond political and cultural factors, and find clues in natural endowments and georgraphic limitations.
My doctoral work will focus on China’s silk industry and its maritime trade, particularly from 1540 to 1690 when a massive influx of Japanese and Spanish American silver accelerated China's economic growth. Along the way, I plan to engage with new materialism that debunks the divide between human and natural history, and join the Great Divergence debate that reorients the world economy since the premodern age.
Education
- B.A. Anhui University
- M.A. Shanghai International Studies University
- M.A. Duke University
Research Interests
- Early Modern Global
- The Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)
- Maritime Trade
- Environmental History
Dissertation Topic
- TBD
