Yufeng Mao

Yufeng Mao, PhD

  • Associate Professor
Media Expertise:
  • International Relations
  • Arts & Culture
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Affiliated Programs

Education

  • PhD, East Asian History (2007)
    George Washington University (DC)
  • MA, Arab Studies (2000)
    Georgetown University (DC)

About Me

I received my BA in Arabic from Beijing Foreign Studies University, MA from Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service, and PhD in East Asian history from George Washington University. As a history teacher, I seek to train my students to critically assess information, reason carefully, and make coherent arguments supported by historical evidence. 

My teaching philosophy is that students must be engaged in their own education by 'doing' the learning. Consequently, my course syllabi and lesson plans emphasize active student participation. I love my job and take great pleasure in exposing my students to diverse voices from the past as well as from different parts of the world.

Research Interests

My research interests include modern Chinese history, race and ethnicity, and transnational history. I have published a number of book chapters, journal articles, and book reviews in these fields. I am currently working on a book manuscript on the history of Muslims in China.

Media Expertise

  • Chinese history and culture
  • Korean history and culture
  • Japanese history and culture
  • Globalism and world civilizations

Publications

  • Mao, Yufeng. "Muslim Voices in the Late Qing Debate Over the Definitions of Guo and Zu." In Ethnic China, edited by Xiaobin Li. Lanham: Rowman Littlefield & Lexington Publishers, 2015.
  • Mao, Yufeng. "A Muslim Vision for the Chinese Nation: Chinese Pilgrimage Missions to Mecca during WWII." The Journal of Asian Studies 70, no. 2 (2011): 373–395.
  • Mao, Yufeng. "Muslim Educational Reform in 20th-Century China: The Case of the Chengda Teachers Academy." l'Extrme-Orient et Extrme-Occident 1 (2012): 143–170.

Professional Affiliations & Memberships

American Historical Association (AHA), Association for Asian Studies (AAS)

Awards

  • Faculty Development Grant, Widener University (2014–2015)
  • P & L Mini Grant, Widener University (2013)
  • Sigur Center Summer Research Grant, George Washington University (2006)

In the Media

Noteworthy

  • Widener Students Visit New York City for Urban Excursions Trip

    Widener faculty recently took 20 students to New York City as part of the urban excursions grant program, which allows faculty to take students on daylong trips to a metropolitan area to allow for deeper engagement and hands-on experiences as they relate to course material. 

    Led by YuFeng Mao, associate professor of history, Beatriz Urraca, chair of modern languages, and Stephen Madigosky, chair of environmental science and sustainability, students visited popular New York City stops such as the Natural History Museum, Central Park, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Times Square, and Koreatown. The trip also coincided with the date of the 2023 New York City Marathon, where students were able to watch and cheer on runners. 

    In addition to experiencing the iconic New York sites, students were also exposed to the diverse culinary culture of the city by trying Latin American food, Dim Sum, and Korean shaved ice and coffee. 

    Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/widener-students-visit-new-york-city-urban-excursions-trip