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Nora is an historian of modern East Asia, with a predominant focus on the period between 1600 to 2000. Her research focuses on the social interactions among people from diverse cultures in the Qing Empire, the Republic of China, and the People's Republic of China, with a particular emphasis on how power and identity shaped economic development. She is also deeply engaged in exploring broader questions about the roots of inequality and the process of modernization. Currently, she is working on four major projects: the material culture of Qing, Republican, and contemporary China; legal pluralism and borderland governance in Qing; the origins of East Asia's payment systems and international trade; and environmental, political, and economic history of Jiangbei. Prior to joining the faculty at UCL, she taught at both the LSE and the University of Oxford.
Major publications
- Qiu. Yitong. "Power and Identity in the Qing Empire: A Study of Manchu and Han Elite Material Culture Through Confiscation Inventories" accepted by the Journal of Asian Studies.
- Qiu. Yitong. "Dress, Power, and Identity in the Qing Empire: An Investigation of Dress Ownership Found in the Confiscation Inventories" accepted by the Central Asiatic Journal.
Media appearances/public engagement
- Nora assisted in curating the British Museum's China's Hidden Century special exhibition in 2023. She portrayed the voice and shadow of Empress Dowager Cixi and translated Chinese language scripts into Manchu.
Grants/projects
- 2023 The 1905 Fellowship, Mount Holyoke College
- 2020 Economic History Society Bursary Scheme
- 2019 Joseph Skinner Fellowship in History, Mount Holyoke College
Teaching
- Making History (1st year undergraduate core course)
- Approaching History (1st year undergraduate core course)
- Global Economy since 1700 (Survey Course)
- Modern East Asia 1600-2000, the Qing Empire, Economic History of Modern China, Global Financial History
For more information, visit Nora's RPS profile.
