A historian from Beijing who specializes in the history of ideas and the history of education in pre-modern China, I completed my dissertation on meritocracy in early medieval China (200-600 CE). This study sheds light on how meritocratic principles failed to fulfill its promise to improve social mobility and promote fairness in the selection and recruitment of talented individuals in the Chinese tradition. My work has been supported by the East Asian Studies Program and the Center for Culture, Society, and Religion.

"As a GradFUTURES Professional Development Associate, I developed projects that use data and storytelling to promote awareness for career diversity for PhDs in the humanities. I spearheaded a digital project that brings transparency to the diverse career outcomes of PhD alumni from the East Asian Studies Department

Recently, I completed a GradFUTURES Fellowship at Ithaka S+R, where I joined a team of higher education policy analysts to conduct research on shared core facilities, libraries, museums, and other research-enablement services in American universities.

I have also served as a panelist at the GradFUTURES Virtual Forum in 2020.

"The inaugural GradFUTURES Forum has enriched my professional development experience in multiple ways. First, as a panelist of the grad student leaders session, I was able to demonstrate my leadership skills and experience in front of a diverse audience. By collaborating with fellow administrators and student volunteers to provide social media support for the Forum, I also honed my communication and management skills. Last but not least, as a participant, I was able to build new connections afterwards with a variety of amazing professionals, including Princeton alumni and my fellow grad students both within and beyond the Princeton circle. Being a part of this 3-day initiative was a transformative and joyful experience."

Read more about Yuzhou’s work on the ITHAKA S+R site!