Current NYU Shanghai Global Research Initiatives Fellows

In her fiction, Chang often explores cultural myths and modes of storytelling. Her thesis project in particular contains many metafictional elements, with references to Greek mythology, the Bible, and other works of the Western canon. Unfortunately, the canons of other regions, such as East Asia, have been harder to come by. The primary reason being that not all cultures prefer to disseminate their lore through written text. She plans to spend some time in Shanghai researching Chinese folklore and storytelling methods, something that will be of great value to her thesis. She is especially interested in attending performances at traditional storytelling halls and opera houses to study how narratives are constructed and presented in those contexts. Additionally, she will be visiting libraries in Shanghai to examine collections of both original and translated text, which will provide fodder for her own creative works.

Professor Cardoso’s research takes place in Luanda, the capital of Angola, at the confluence of various global processes. Analyzing contemporary modes of city making in one of the largest oil economies in the African continent, Professor Cardoso’s inquiries take him to a variety of locations across the world. Given the relevance of its involvement in infrastructure and urban development all across the city, perhaps the most important of those locations has been China. At NYU Shanghai, Professor Cardoso will use the available resources, including connecting with faculty in Global China Studies and Social Sciences, in order to accomplish a number of research-related tasks. Not only will he expand his knowledge of Chinese urbanism, he will also use his time to analyze a few of the various approaches to city making being exported from China to Angola as well as some of the concrete geographical linkages currently being enacted by crude oil shipments going from Angola to China.

Professor Karl will have finished a 4-month teaching appointment at Chinese University of Hong Kong. She will be traveling from Hong Kong to Shanghai to complete some research and see some academic colleagues from various institutes and universities. She will also be participating in two workshops at Shanghai University. The project is funded by Institute for New Economic Thinking (INET) and is entitled "The Worlds of Economic Thinking in China's Twentieth Century."