Wonhee Cho

Biography:

As a historian of the Mongol empire (1206­1368), I am particularly interested in religion, comparative empire studies and cross cultural interactions. My current book project, entitled Empire and Religion: Politics of Difference and Negotiation in the Mongol Empire (1206­1368), examines the different religions of the Mongol empire in China – Buddhism, Daoism, Christianity, and Islam – and how they interacted with the empire.

My academic interest in the Mongols and other nomads, and their interactions with other peoples is closely related to my life, since I constantly moved around different places and adapted to different cultures. Born in South Korea, I lived in Australia when I was from three to nine years old, and some people say they can still hear my Australian accent when I speak English. I studied at Seoul National University as an English language and literature Major (B.A.), joined the Asian History Department M.A., a program where I studied Chinese, Japanese and Persian. I have completed my Ph. D. Studies at Yale University, and while I always say I have lived in the States for six years, I often forget that during that six­year period I spent a whole year at Beijing University as a visiting research student. And before coming to NYU Shanghai, I was a post­doctoral researcher at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. 

Research Interest:

Pre­modern Chinese History
Mongol Empire
Comparative Empire Studies, Religion, Digital Humanities