Cheers to Two New Doctors in History: Tian Le and Lu Yijun

We’re thrilled to share some wonderful news from the ENP-China team—two of our talented visiting young scholars, Tian Le and Lu Yijun, have officially earned their doctorates. After years of dedicated research, and a short learning and collaboration stay with us, they have both successfully defended their dissertation projects and can now proudly add “Dr.” before their names.

Tian Le: Trust and Tea Trade in the 19th Century

Tian Le, who joined us from the University of Bristol’s History Department, passed her viva on 16 May 2025. Her dissertation, titled “Whom Shall I Trust: Commercial Relationships in Sino-British Tea Trade in the Early Nineteenth Century,” explores the fragile web of trust, risk, and negotiation that shaped commercial ties between China and Britain. She argues that it argues that despite the constant change of actors on the tea supply chain, it was what I call a trust system that underpinned the smoothness and persistency of tea trade between China and Britain. Her project combined rigorous historical analysis with network analysis she honed during her time with us.

Lu Yijun: Elder Shanghai Workers’ Oral Record

Just days later, on 19 May 2025, Lu Yijun successfully defended his dissertation at Shanghai Normal University. His jury included distinguished historians such as Xiong Yuezhi 熊月之 (SASS, emeritus), Peng Shanmin 彭善民(Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences), Tao Feiya 陶飛亞 (Shanghai University), and Gao Hongxia 高紅霞 and 鄭顯文 Zheng Xianwen from Shanghai Normal University. His dissertation, titled利用经历：上海“老工人谈话记录”生产史研究（1953—1958) (Using Experience: A Study of the Production History of Shanghai’s ‘Elder Workers’ Oral Record’ (1953–1958)), brings long-overlooked historical materials back into scholarly view. These oral records—collected during the early years of the People’s Republic—capture workers’ memories of the city’s labor history. Lu’s work explores not only what these records contain but how and why they were created in the first place. Through careful historical reconstruction and topic modeling, he reveals how 1950s political and social contexts shaped both the content and purpose of the interviews.

Six Months of Collaboration, Discovery, and Growth

Over the past half year that they spent with us, both Tian Le and Lu Yijun became much more than visiting Ph.D. interns. They were generous collaborators, curious minds, and enthusiastic team players. Whether digging into data, attending workshops, or sharing insights over coffee, they enriched our daily work and brought fresh perspectives to our collective efforts. Their time with ENP-China was also a chance for them to dive into computational history, sharpening skills that will serve them well as they step into academic careers.

We couldn’t be prouder of Dr. Tian Le and Dr. Lu Yijun. We’re confident they’ll continue making an impact in the field of history, blending traditional research with advanced computational methodologies.

To both of them—a hearty congratulations from all of us at ENP-China!

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