I am currently supervising three PhD students whose projects range widely across the seas and centuries: one investigates punitive labour and punishment in maritime Southeast Asia; another traces the journeys of sappanwood through the cultural history of colour; and a third examines post-Opium War narratives in relation to nineteenth-century intelligence gathering and the making of imperial knowledge.

 

I warmly welcome proposals on maritime history, late imperial China, and the cultural histories of Asia—whether they touch on trade, religion, mobility, or the ever-shifting meanings of the sea. If you have an idea afloat in your mind, feel free to c  ast it my way, either through the form on this site or by email at c.y.po@lse.ac.uk