An Wang Postdoctoral Fellowships in Chinese Studies

Upper $60,000USD The fellowship period is from August 1, 2021 to July 31, 2022. Total stipend for An Wang Postdoctoral Fellows: $60,000 Health insurance benefits and $3,000 for scholarly activities will also be provided to each fellow. In addition, there are potential funding opportunities for presentation in international conference and a research trip to China.

A strong working knowledge of Chinese and English is required. Applicants must provide confirmation of successful completion of their Ph.D. degree, in the form of a certificate of completion from the degree-granting institution or a letter from the institution’s Registrar, by August 1, 2021 at the latest. Applicants may not be more than five years beyond the receipt of their Ph.D. at the start of the fellowship and must reside in the Greater Boston area for the duration of the fellowship. Harvard University doctoral degree recipients are not eligible for this fellowship.

This year the Fairbank Center is offering two fellowships to support postdoctoral participants in an interdisciplinary research group that will focus on Meaningful Ageing and End of Life in China: A Multidisciplinary US-China Collaboration. This research group will be led by Professors Winnie Yip (T.H. Chan School of Public Health) and Arthur Kleinman (Faculty of Arts and Sciences; Harvard Medical School). The primary objective of this research group is to conduct in-depth study and analyses in order to understand what constitutes a meaningful life for older people in China and what policies and actions can be designed to advance that objective. The group will adopt an inter-disciplinary and comparative approach, drawing on experiences and lessons from other relevant countries. Examples of questions to be examined include: What does purpose/meaning-driven ageing mean and how does it manifest in the context of Chinese culture, ethics and social values? What kind of care system should policymakers be considering (e.g., palliative care, other forms of end of life care) in integrating medical care with socially and culturally meaningful support? What is the role of social technology in communicating and intervening in the perceived worth of elders experiences of living? What is the role of the government versus the market in financing and delivering an eldercare system that suits the preferences of the Chinese elderly? How do we guide urban planning and housing policies so as to enhance social and cultural values in a physical environment for elders who reside either in institutions or residences? As part of the group, fellows’ primary responsibility will be to conduct their proposed research project under the mentorship of Profs. Yip and Kleinman. Using the balance of their available time, they will have the opportunity to participate in a range of activities to be decided upon by the group, but which may include presentation in seminars, contribution to a white paper summarizing the group’s analyses and policy recommendations for aging in China, or other interdisciplinary engagements and collaborations with the scholarly community at Harvard. Eligibility A strong working knowledge of Chinese and English is required. Applicants must provide confirmation of successful completion of their Ph.D. degree, in the form of a certificate of completion from the degree-granting institution or a letter from the institution’s Registrar, by August 1, 2021 at the latest. Applicants may not be more than five years beyond the receipt of their Ph.D. at the start of the fellowship and must reside in the Greater Boston area for the duration of the fellowship. Harvard University doctoral degree recipients are not eligible for this fellowship.