Salford welcomes Professor of Environmental History from China
This month Pro Vice-Chancellor of Research, Professor Karl Dayson, officially welcomed Professor Chengshuang Fu to the University of Salford where he will be spending a year’s research leave. Professor Fu, who is Dean of Research in the Faculty of History, Nankai University, Tianjin, People’s Republic of China, is one of China’s leading environmental historians. Professor Fu will be spending some of his time in Salford investigating the climatic effects of industrialization in the Northwest during the nineteenth century.
Professor Allan Walker, Dean of the School of Arts and Media, said: “Professor Fu’s visit here is extremely welcome – and timely. The environment is often seen as a research subject for other schools. However, taking a historical perspective can inform policy, so his work is very relevant and, not least of all, it dovetails extremely well with the University’s current research strategy. His visit is also welcome as it builds on our existing links with Nankai University. Professor Fu’s position here as Visiting Professor in 2020 is an important step along the road of strengthening our ties with Nankai.”
The contact with Nankai University has been established by Professor Alaric Searle, who has been Visiting Professor at Nankai since 2016. Salford signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Faculty of History at Nankai last year.
Alaric commented: “It is a great privilege to be able to welcome Prof Fu to Salford. We are delighted he has decided to spend his sabbatical here. This is not just because of our growing cooperation with the Faculty of History at Nankai University. It is also because there is considerable scope for us in the School of Arts and Media to work together with Professor Fu on environmental history. Dr Jade Munslow-Ong is currently work on a book on global literature and the environment, while Dr Carole O’Reilly published a book last year entitled The Greening of the City: Urban Parks and Public Leisure 1840-1939. We are also certain that Prof Fu will be able to benefit from some of the excellent resources on British history available in Salford and Manchester, not least of all at the Working-Class Movement Library and the People’s History Museum.”
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