The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation granted an Anneliese Maier Research Award to Prof. Wang Hui, a scholar in the fields of history and literature studies at Tsinghua University.

The award is valued at 250.000 Euros, and it provides the basis for a long-term collaboration with the Göttingen Department of East Asian Studies and the Platform for Global and Transregional Studies. Wang Hui’s main collaboration partner is Prof. Dr. Dominic Sachsenmaier. Professor Wang will chiefly conduct research on the complex regional and global entanglements of modern Chinese history.

Wang Hui, who in the past served as the coeditor of the influential Chinese journal Dushu, is not only a highly influential figure in the academic and sociopolitical debates in China. Also in many other parts of the world, his works – for instance his critical reflections on Chinese and global modernity – have been widely received. In 2008, the magazine Foreign Policy listed him among the top 100 most influential intellectuals worldwide. In Germany, he has already contributed to public debates through substantial published dialogues with politicians like Helmut Schmidt or Sigmar Gabriel.