Research takes graduate student across world

Graduate student Kaiqi Hua’s research into premodern China has taken him to the canals of Hangzhou, the rocket-battered streets of Jerusalem and the East-West Center in Hawaii.

Hua, a graduate student in interdisciplinary humanities, is studying a Buddhist movement called the White Cloud sect in China’s premodern metropolitan Hangzhou and its hinterlands. The movement lasted from the 12th to 14th centuries, particularly flourishing during the Mongol Yuan dynasty.

“Most scholars focus on the markets and the urban culture of Hangzhou and don’t highlight its religious importance. They consider it a merchant city but don’t consider it a holy site,” Hua said. “Buddhism has been the dominating culture in that period, and this sect hasn’t been studied.”

Advised by Chinese history professor Ruth Mostern, Hua is immersed in innovative research within the humanities, some of which has been supported by two fellowships. With Mostern, he helped build a historical database about China’s Yellow River, which has had a profound effect on the country’s history and society.

“Kaiqi’s dissertation is breaking new ground in understanding Chinese religious geography during the first great age of globalization, and it’s particularly exciting to see in light of the global character of his own research, which has taken him to three continents,” Mostern said.

For his dissertation, Hua is conducting the first comprehensive study of the sect, work that contributes to the understanding of Chinese history, particularly the transition through the Song, Yuan and Ming dynasties.

Hua argues the rise and fall of the White Cloud sect in the Yuan was not necessarily related to official support from the Mongol government. Other factors such as the changing patterns of local economy, spatial distribution of water resources and the dynamics of regional social networks all contributed to the unique life of the sectarian movement, he said.

He’s also exploring the Puning Buddhist Canon, produced by the sect and one of the biggest private Buddhist canon printing projects in imperial China. The research provides comprehensive and detailed information on surviving manuscripts and the projects’ background.

As a UC Merced graduate student, Hua has traveled extensively. He presented his research at European universities in late 2013 and spent the following summer traveling the globe.

Most recently, Hua was appointed to serve a one-year term on the UC Academic Senate’s University Committee on International Education as the graduate student representative.

“I hope to be more involved in the UC systemwide strategies on international education and outreach for the sake of UC’s international influence,” he said.

Scholarship fulfills dream

Lorraine Sturdevant always wanted to explore other countries, but finances were always an obstacle.

But winning a Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship allowed her to take her first journey outside North America. She spent the summer studying in Thailand, an adventure that wouldn’t have been possible without the scholarship.

Sturdevant, who is majoring in sociology and minoring in writing, loved the idea of traveling to other countries. But before last summer, Mexico was the only other country the Los Angeles resident had visited.

The program lasted about six weeks. She chose Thailand because she wanted to feel like a fish out of water.

“I thought it was the most different thing,” Sturdevant said. “I wanted to be a little bit scared.”

She only knew the basics about Thailand before her visit. Once there, home base was Thammasat University in Bangkok – where she and other students lived and learned about the country’s cultural, religious and societal beliefs.

Trips to other towns, cities and areas gave Sturdevant the chance to see new places, meet people, learn to cook a few Thai dishes and even ride an elephant. “That was very bumpy,” she said.

After completing the program, Sturdevant said she feels more confident and ready to handle new challenges.

“It made me want to take on more than I always thought I could,” she said.

This story was originally published November 18, 2014 at 6:06 PM with the headline "Research takes graduate student across world."