About Me
My name is Kankan Xie (or 谢侃侃 in Chinese), Associate Professor of Southeast Asian Studies at the School of Foreign Languages, Peking University, China. I am interested in various historical and contemporary issues of the broadly defined "Nusantara" (Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore) and beyond.
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My research projects address topics such as left-wing movements, Dutch colonialism, nationalism & decolonization, ethnicity & identity politics, governance & rural development, China & Southeast Asia during the Cold War, and China’s knowledge production on Southeast Asia throughout the 20th century.
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Employment
Associate Professor (with Tenure) | Peking University | 2025 -- present
Assistant Professor | Peking University | 2019 -- 2025
Southeast Asian Studies, School of Foreign Languages
Southeast Asian Studies, School of Foreign Languages
Education
Ph.D. | University of California, Berkeley | 2012 -- 2018
Southeast Asian Studies; DE in Dutch Studies
M.A. | Cornell University | 2010 -- 2012
Asian Studies
B.A. | Beijing Foreign Studies University | 2006 -- 2010
Malay Language & Literature
Teaching Experience
Peking University | Assistant/Associate Professor
03534731: Malay (A, B)
03534529: Indonesian Culture and Society
03534779: Malaysian Culture and Society
03534551: Indonesian History (1, 2)
03534750: Indonesian Movies
03534560: Politics and Economy of Indonesia after World War â…¡
03535760: Introduction to Southeast Asian History and Current Affairs
03539001: Introduction to China’s Relations with Neighboring Countries
03539002: Introduction to Area Studies
03916650: Southeast Asian Studies Writing Seminar
03910013: Academic Writing for Graduate Students
03918370: Modern History of Island Southeast Asia (in Chinese and English)
20810200: Critical Thinking and Academic Writing (English course for the Yenching Academy)
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University of California, Berkeley | Graduate Student Instructor
SEA 10B: Intro to Southeast Asian Civilization: People, Power, and Performance (with Sylvia Tiwon, Spring 2018)
SEA 10B: People and Politics of Island Southeast Asia (with Annette Clear, Spring 2014)
Chinese 1A: Elementary Chinese (Fall 2014)
Chinese 1X: Elementary Chinese for Heritage Students I (Fall 2013)
Chinese 10X: Elementary Chinese for Heritage Students II (Spring 2013)
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Cornell University | Teaching Assistant
Chinese 2201: Intermediate Chinese (Fall 2011)
Selected Fellowships and Awards
Ng Teng Fong/Sino Outstanding Young Scholar Award, Peking University, 2025
Teaching Excellence Award, Peking University, 2025
Asian Universities Alliance (AUA) Scholars Award, Asian Universities Alliance (AUA), 2024
Young Scholar Grant, National Social Science Fund, China, 2020-2025
Overseas Chinese Studies Research Grant, The Chinese Institute of Overseas Chinese Studies, 2020-2022
Curriculum Development Grant, Graduate School, Peking University, 2019
New Faculty Start-up Grant, Peking University, 2019-2021
The Elvera Kwang Siam Lim Fellowship in Chinese Studies​, Center for Chinese Studies, UC--Berkeley, 2016 --18
The Lee Kong Chian Research Fellowship, National Library Board, Singapore, 2016 --17
The John L. Simpson Memorial Research Fellowship, Institute of International Studies, UC--Berkeley, 2016 --17
Transparency for Development (T4D) Research Fellowship, Ash Center, Harvard Kennedy School, 2015 -- 16
The Magistretti Award, South & Southeast Asian Studies, UC--Berkeley, 2017
Brill Fellowship, Scaliger Institute, Leiden University Library, 2016
The Milton L. Barnett Scholarship, Southeast Asia Program, Cornell University, 2011