Experience 🩺
Vivien Jiaqian Zhu has accumulated extensive experience through her academic and professional roles. She is a visiting scholar at Stanford University, where she collaborates on research projects and participates in academic seminars. Zhu has also worked as a graduate student researcher at UC Berkeley, where she assisted in archival research and curated collections, focusing on Japanese literature and East Asian cultures. Her professional experience extends to editorial roles, including serving on the editorial board of the International Journal of Sustainable Fashion & Textile and as the editor of the Language & Theory section of Ling Mag. Zhu’s expertise is also reflected in her involvement in the International Joint Digital Center for Japanese Art and Culture at Ritsumeikan University. She has conducted research across various international libraries, including UC Berkeley, Nanjing University, and the University of Tokyo. Additionally, Zhu has gained teaching experience, particularly in Chinese calligraphy and East Asian studies.
Awards and Honors 🏅
Vivien Jiaqian Zhu’s academic excellence has been recognized through numerous prestigious awards and fellowships. In 2024, she received the Mitsubishi Research Fellowship for Early Modern Japanese Palaeography at the University of Cambridge, allowing her to study under the Emmanuel College at the university. Zhu has been honored with the Regent’s Fellowship for Graduate Study at UC Berkeley, nominated by Professor H. Mack Horton. She was awarded the CJS Graduate Student Fellowship, the UC Berkeley Departmental Award, and the Theresa Hak Kyung Cha Fellowship Award. Zhu’s academic recognition extends to memberships in Phi Beta Kappa and Golden Key International Honor Society. She has also earned multiple scholarships and fellowships, including the Nippon Foundation Fellowship for Japanese language studies at Stanford, the Dietrich von Bothmer Classical Scholarship, and the Institute of International Studies Undergraduate Merit Scholarship. Her research contributions have been consistently acknowledged, making her a prominent figure in East Asian literary studies.
Research Focus 🔬
Vivien Jiaqian Zhu’s research focuses on the intersection of Japanese literature, art history, and East Asian cultural studies. Her doctoral research at UC Berkeley explores the tactile and haptic elements in Kawabata Yasunari’s Palm-of-the-Hand Stories, examining how sensory experiences influence narrative structure and reader engagement. Zhu’s academic interests include the cultural and historical contexts of Japanese literature, with a particular emphasis on modern and early modern periods. She investigates the transnational connections between Japan, China, and the broader East Asian region, often incorporating interdisciplinary methodologies from comparative literature, art history, and cultural studies. Additionally, Zhu has worked on archival research projects, including studies of Chinese calligraphy, criminal law, and comparative law. Her studies in early modern Japanese palaeography and her deep engagement with East Asian art and literature reflect her broad intellectual interests, positioning her as a key scholar in understanding the intricate relationships between language, culture, and history in the region.