PhD Candidate, Department of Chinese Studies, University of Tübingen

Academic Career

• Since 2023 Recipient of PhD Scholarship within the "Landesgraduiertenförderung" (LGFG) program
• Since 2022 PhD Candidate at the Department of Chinese Studies, University of Tübingen
• 2022 M.A. Sinology, Faculty of Humanities, University of Tübingen
• Since 2020 Research Assistant of Prof. Dr. Hans Ulrich Vogel, Department of Chinese Studies, University of Tübingen
• 2019 B.A. History, University of Macau (honoured with the Wu's Group Academic Prize)
• 2017-2019 Student and Research Assistant of Prof. Dr. Beatriz Puente-Ballesteros, Department of History, University of Macau

Research Focus
Han Qijin focuses her research on East-West interactions during the period of early modern globalization, especially on intercivilizational science and technology transfer undertaken by go-betweeners during the early Qing dynasty. Currently, she is carrying out a comparative and critical translation and analysis of two Jesuit treatises which were dedicated to the introduction of thermometry to the Kangxi court, namely the Yanqi tushuo 驗氣圖說 (Illustrated Explanation of Testing Air; 1671) written by Ferdinand Verbiest (1623-1688) and the Yanqi hanshubiao shuo 驗氣寒暑表說 (An Explanation of the Cold-and Hot Meter for Testing Air; n.d.) drafted by his French successors. By applying interdisciplinary approaches and methods in her research and by taking the introduction of the thermometer as her case study, she attempts to arrive at a better understanding of the patterns and dynamics of knowledge transfer under the setting of a controlled cultural relationship. This doctoral dissertation is part of the research project “Translating Western Science, Technology and Medicine to Late Ming China: Convergences and Divergences in the Light of the Kunyu gezhi 坤輿格致 (Investigations of the Earth’s Interior; 1640) and the Taixi shuifa 泰西水法 (Hydromethods of the Great West; 1612),” supervised by Prof. Dr. Hans Ulrich Vogel.

«Yanqi tushuo» 驗氣圖說 (Illustrated Explanation of Testing Air; 1671) by Ferdinand Verbiest. Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Paris.

Other Activities
From 2017 to 2019 Han Qijin was Student and Research Assistant of Prof. Dr. Beatriz Puente-Ballesteros in the Projects “Global-Micro Histories in East-West Medical Interactions and Exchanges during Late Imperial China” and “Translating Western Anatomy to Late Ming China: Convergences and Divergences in the Light of the Taixi renshen shuogai 泰西人身説大概 (An Outline of the Human Body from the Occident; 1643),” Department of History, University of Macau.
Since 2020, Han Qijin has been a research assistant of Prof. Dr. Hans Ulrich Vogel (Director) in the DFG project “Translating Western Science, Technology and Medicine to Late Ming China: Convergences and Divergences in the Light of the Kunyu gezhi 坤輿格致 (Investigations of the Earth’s Interior; 1640) and the Taixi shuifa 泰西水法 (Hydromethods of the Great West; 1612)”.

China’s largest thermometer is located in Xinjiang among the Flaming Mountains along the ancient Silk Road. The design in «jingubang» shape is derived from the weapon used by the Monkey King in the famous novel “Journey to the West.” This thermometer can be used to measure the land surface temperature up to 100℃. Picture taken in 2017 by a native Xinjiang photographer, Tuniu.com.