Peter K. Bol
Harvard College Professor
Charles H. Carswell Professor of East Asian
Languages and Civilizations
Peter K. Bol is the Charles H. Carswell Professor East Asian Languages and Civilizations. His research is centered on the history of China’s cultural elites from the 7th to the 17th century. He led Harvard’s university-wide effort to establish support for geospatial analysis in teaching and research; in 2005 he was named the first director of the Center for Geographic Analysis. He also directs the China Historical Geographic Information Systems project, a collaboration between Harvard and Fudan University in Shanghai to create a GIS for 2000 years of Chinese history. In a collaboration between Harvard, Academia Sinica, and Peking University he directs the China Biographical Database project, an online relational database currently of 70,000 historical figures that is being expanded to cover the Chinese political elite over the last 2000 years.
GENERAL EXAMINATION FIELDS
Chinese History VIII-XVII Century
Candidates are expected to have a general knowledge of political, social, economic, cultural and intellectual history for this period and to be acquainted with major secondary sources for the study of Chinese history in English. Knowledge of scholarly trends in Chinese and Japanese scholarship is expected. Students for whom this is the primary field are expected to have written at least two graduate seminar papers in this area.
Chinese Intellectual History (occasionally offered)
Candidates are expected to have a general knowledge of major schools and figures in thought and religion from all periods of Chinese history and to be acquainted with major secondary works in intellectual history. Attention is also given to the development of literary theory and practice in the context of intellectual culture. Joining a reading group to prepare for this field is optional.
Primary Research Language
Satisfied through translations for seminars and/or through a three-hour written examination in which punctuated and unpunctuated texts are translated.
FALL COURSES
On leave in the fall.
SPRING COURSES
On leave in the spring.
China Biographical Database Project
中國歷代人物傳記資料庫（CBDB）項目
China Economic History Forum Interviews Prof. Peter Bol (in Chinese)
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