Gir Chang-tai 葛昌泰

Education:
B.A., National Tsing Hua University
M.A., National Taiwan Normal University

Research Interests:
Medieval history, literati studies, social history, regional studies

Self-Introduction:
Edward Yang’s Appointed Spiritual Successor in Medieval Chinese Studies; Assistant Regional Manager of the Association for the Promotion of The Office (US) in East Asia; Lead Organizer of the Anti-Real Madrid Petition (over 2 signatures collected worldwide); Leader of the Fried Food Reform Movement (Mission: Fried food deserves its own plate, never mixed with anything else — especially wet stuff); Distinguished Alumnus of Muzha Elementary School (pending)

Thesis Advisor: Prof Ong Chang Woei

Thesis Title: Interrogating the Ethics of Translation Technology in Singapore: A Discursive Approach (tentative)

Thesis Research Area:
My research focuses on the composition and transformation of Shandong literati communities between the 8th and 12th centuries. Through this study, I aim to examine the following questions: under what kinds of social and political mechanisms did a regional literati community coalesce (8th-10th centuries); what kinds of cultural claims did it articulate (10th-11th centuries); how did it negotiate with various forms of “others” (early 11th century); and, after its decline in influence, how did it adjust its discourse to establish positive connections with mainstream intellectual currents (11th-12th centuries).