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Zhou, Jun
Institute for Research in Humanities Associate Professor
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Last Updated :2026/09/11
Basic Information
Email Address
Email Address
zhou.jun.7h
kyoto-u.ac.jp
Professional Memberships
- The Society of Historical Studies on Chinese Women
- To PresentThe Historical Science Society of Japan
- The Japan Association for Asian Studies (JAAS)
- To PresentThe Japan Association for Modern China Studies
- Modern and Contemporary China Studies
Academic Degree
- 13 Feb. 2023Doctor of Philosophy in International Studies, Waseda University, Japan
- 15 Mar. 2014MA in International Relations, Waseda University,Japan
Research History
- From Apr. 2026, To PresentKyoto University, Institute for Research in Humanities, Associate Professor
- From Apr. 2026, To PresentInternational Research Center for Japanese Studies, Collaborative Researcher
- From Oct. 2024, To Apr. 2026Kobe University, Graduate School of Intercultural Studies, Assistant Professor
- From Mar. 2024, To Mar. 2024Peking University, Department of History, Visiting Scholar
- From Apr. 2023, To Sep. 2024Doshisha University, Graduate School of Global Studies, Assistant Professor
- From May 2021, To Mar. 2023The University of Tokyo, Institute of Social Science, Project Researcher
- From Apr. 2020, To Mar. 2022Waseda University, Waseda Institute of Contemporary Chinese Studies, Adjunct Researcher
- From Dec. 2020, To PresentKyoto University, Institute for Research in Humanities, Researcher
- From Jun. 2020, To PresentKyoto University, Institute for Research in Humanities, Researcher
- From Oct. 2024, To Mar. 2025Doshisha University, Graduate School of Global Studies, Lecturer (part-time)
- From Sep. 2024, To Mar. 2025Ryukoku University, Faculty of Law, Lecturer (part-time)
- From Apr. 2024, To Sep. 2024Kyoto University of Foreign Studies, Faculty of Foreign Studies Department of Chinese Studies, Lecturer (part-time)
- From Sep. 2022, To Mar. 2023Ferris University, Center for the Liberal Arts, Part-time Lecturer
- From Sep. 2017, To Jul. 2019新しい日中関係を考える研究者の会, 事務局, 補佐
- From Apr. 2014, To Sep. 2016The Asahi Shimbun, 国際発信部中国語チーム, editor
Profile
Profile
My research focuses on the history of the Chinese Communist Party and modern Chinese political history. In recent years, I have become particularly interested in the relationship between information and political power. Rather than treating information simply as an object of historical inquiry, I use it as a methodological lens to understand how political actors perceived, interpreted, and acted upon the world around them. By reconstructing the information environments in which historical decisions were made, I examine how the collection, transmission, interpretation, and use of information shaped governance, state-building, and political decision-making in modern China.
Beyond this central focus, my research is guided by several broader methodological principles: (1) analyzing the formation, transmission, and transformation of historical sources; (2) situating Chinese historical developments within broader contexts, including the twentieth-century international communist movement and the Cold War; (3) interpreting historical actors within the political, social, and intellectual contexts of their own time; (4) incorporating marginalized perspectives, particularly those of women, into analyses of political power; and (5) using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to examine the historical significance of spatial relationships.
Through these approaches, I seek to contribute to a more balanced, empirically grounded, and historically informed understanding of the Chinese Communist Party, modern Chinese political history, and contemporary China.
Language of Instruction
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ORCID ID
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Researcher number
40894811External link
Website(s) (URL(s))
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Last Updated :2026/09/11
Research
Research Topics, Overview of the research
Research Topics
Modern Chinese History, History of the Chinese Communist PartyOverview of the research
My research focuses on the history of the Chinese Communist Party and modern Chinese political history. In recent years, I have become particularly interested in the relationship between information and political power. Rather than treating information simply as an object of historical inquiry, I use it as a methodological lens to understand how political actors perceived, interpreted, and acted upon the world around them. By reconstructing the information environments in which historical decisions were made, I examine how the collection, transmission, interpretation, and use of information shaped governance, state-building, and political decision-making in modern China.
Beyond this central focus, my research is guided by several broader methodological principles: (1) analyzing the formation, transmission, and transformation of historical sources; (2) situating Chinese historical developments within broader contexts, including the twentieth-century international communist movement and the Cold War; (3) interpreting historical actors within the political, social, and intellectual contexts of their own time; (4) incorporating marginalized perspectives, particularly those of women, into analyses of political power; and (5) using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to examine the historical significance of spatial relationships.
Through these approaches, I seek to contribute to a more balanced, empirically grounded, and historically informed understanding of the Chinese Communist Party, modern Chinese political history, and contemporary China.
Research Interests
- First Lady
- Infectious Disease
- China's Political System
- Modern Chinese History
- History of the Chinese Communist Party
- World Communism
- Socialism
- Cold War
- Soviet Union
- Joseph Stalin
- Vladimir Lenin
- Mao Zedong
- Chiang Ching
- Secrecy
- Classified Document
- Information
- Intelligence
- Cognitive Bias
- Agricultural Collectivization
- Great Leap Forward
- Famine
- Xinhua News Agency
- Local Inspections
- Petitioning
- Communications Technology
- Mobilization
- Southbound Cadres
- Gender
- Historical Source Criticism
- Archives
- GIS（Geographic Information System）
Research Areas
- Humanities & social sciences, Local studies, China Studies
- Humanities & social sciences, History - Asia/Africa, The History of Modern China
- Humanities & social sciences, Politics, Chinese politics
Papers
- CCP Leaders' Wives in Maoist China: Gender, Power, and Dual DominationJun ZHOUModern and Contemporary China Studies, Jan. 2026, Invited
- The Historical Context of Japan's Southern Expansion Doctrine Policy before WWIIJun ZHOUJournal of Changsha University of Science and Technology(Social Science), Nov. 2016, Peer-reviewed
- Far East International Relations and the Japanese Navy's Strategic Choices in the 1930sJun ZHOUStrategy and Management, 2016, Peer-reviewed
Misc.
- Book Review: Masaharu Hishida, ed., Corruption and Anti-Corruption in Contemporary China: The Varieties and Underlying Conditions of CorruptionJun ZHOUMonthly Journal of Chinese Affairs, Jul. 2026
- Notes from Abroad: Lessons for China from Japanese High School Football in an Age of Tradition and ModernityJun ZHOUThe Paper (Chinese newspaper, 澎湃新闻), 13 Jan. 2019, Invited
- Reflections on Japan: Manga and Politics (5): The Legacy of DaizaishōJun ZHOUThe Paper (Chinese newspaper, 澎湃新闻), 10 Sep. 2018, Invited
- Reflections on Japan: Manga and Politics (4): Challenges and Implications of Japanese Companies' Global ExpansionJun ZHOUThe Paper (Chinese newspaper, 澎湃新闻), 02 Sep. 2018, Invited
- Reflections on Japan: Manga and Politics (3): The Empire's Point of No Return—Replacing the Battle of Ideas with Military ForceJun ZHOUThe Paper (Chinese newspaper, 澎湃新闻), 25 Aug. 2018, Invited
- Reflections on Japan: Manga and Politics (2): Politics, Love, and Ideals in an Age of UpheavalJun ZHOUThe Paper (Chinese newspaper, 澎湃新闻), 20 Aug. 2018, Invited
- Reflections on Japan: Manga and Politics (1): Power, Money, and Sex in Kaji Ryūsuke no GiJun ZHOUThe Paper (Chinese newspaper, 澎湃新闻), 19 Aug. 2018, Invited
- In Conversation: How I see the Historical Reconciliation between China and JapanKeshi Jiang; Jun ZhouAisixiang（爱思想）, Feb. 2017, Invited, Lead author
- 八年抗战还是十四年抗战？日本视角下的战争认识Jun Zhou爱思想网, 16 Jan. 2017
- 战后71年 为何广岛和珍珠港对美日不再是敏感问题Jun ZhouZHEJIANG NEWS, 26 Dec. 2016
- 日本是菲律宾施展“小国大外交”保险阀？Jun ZHOUUS-China Perception Monitor, 11 Nov. 2016
- After the South China Sea Arbitration: Nationalism, Great-Power Rationality, and Reflections on China's National DestinyJun ZHOUFirst Thinktank; Hu Yaobang Historical Archives, 15 Jul. 2016
- Yang Jiang through the Eyes of a Japanese ScholarJun ZHOUAisixiang（爱思想）, 05 Jul. 2016, Invited, Corresponding author
Presentations
- Is China Studies Returning to the Cold War Era?: The CCP Can Close Its Archives, but the Documentary Ecosystem Cannot Be ReversedJun ZHOUPublic Symposium: In Search of Modern Chinese History: An International Research Conversation, 06 Aug. 2026, Centre for China in the World,The Australian National University, Invited
- A Philological Analysis of Historical Sources on Chinese Communist Party Intelligence: How Have the “Spear” and the “Shield” Been Represented?Jun ZHOUThe 2026 Spring Conference of the Japan Association for Asian Studies (JAAS), 13 Jun. 2026, Japan Association for Asian Studies, Invited
- The Politics of Wives in the Chinese Communist PartyJun ZHOUThe 76th Annual Conference of the Japan Association for Modern China Studies, 31 May 2026, The Japan Association for Modern China Studies
- Book Talk: The Nerves of Chinese Communist Party: the Origin, Structure and Function of the lnformation SystemJun ZHOU「中国政治社会史研究の新地平を語る」非公開研究会, 22 Feb. 2025, the Institute of Economic Research, Chuo University, Invited
- The Road to the "Little Leap Forward": Mao's Information Processing and Cognitive BiasJun ZHOUKyoto University, Institute for Research in Humanities, Collaborative Research, The Modern Aspects of Information in 20th Century China, 17 May 2024, Kyoto University, Institute for Research in Humanities, Research Center for Modern and Contemporary China, Invited
- Shanghai Xinhua Bookstore CollectionJun ZHOU中国語資料に係る説明聴取会, 02 Feb. 2024, Kansai-kan of the National Diet Library, Invited
- Information and Multi Archives: A New Approach to History of the CCPJun ZHOU地域研究・比較政治研究プロジェクト科目, 23 Dec. 2023, Keio University, Invited
- The People's Voice: Petition and Repression in the Early Years of the People’s Republic of ChinaJun ZHOU2023 JAAS Autumn Convention Program, 26 Nov. 2023, the Japan Association for Asian Studies (JAAS)
- The Origins of the CCP's Secrecy and the U.S. - China Intelligence StruggleJun ZHOU東京大学ヒューマニティーズセンター第99回オープンセミナー「現代中国における輿論と情報」, 10 Nov. 2023, 東京大学ヒューマニティーズセンター, Invited
- An Encyclopedia of Agricultural Collectivization: The Compilation, Publication and Evaluation of "Socialist upsurge in China's countryside"Jun ZHOUKyoto University, Institute for Research in Humanities, Collaborative Research, Reviving the History of 20th Century China by Reviewing Source Material, 09 Jun. 2023, Invited
- The “Blood Vessels” of the Chinese Communist Party: Jiyao Jiaotong and Jiyao TongxinJun ZHOUThe Society of Modern and Contemporary China Studies 2022, 14 Mar. 2022, The Society of Modern and Contemporary China Studies
- The National Administration of State Secret Protection in the Early Years of PRCZHOU JunKyoto University, Institute for Research in Humanities, Collaborative Research, Institutions and models of modern China, 26 Nov. 2021, Invited
- The CCP and the Secrecy: Changing and Unchanging Process of the 'Confidentiality Work'Jun ZHOUThe 71th Annual Conference of the Japan Association for Modern China Studies, 24 Oct. 2021, The Japan Association for Modern China Studies
- Internal Periodicals in Mao Zedong EraJun ZHOUKyoto University, Institute for Research in Humanities, Collaborative Research, Reviving the History of 20th Century China by Reviewing Source Material, 24 Sep. 2021
- Information Gathering Device of Chinese Communist Party: the Neibu Cankao of Xinhua News Agency周 俊現代中国研究セミナー2021年度第3回, 23 Jun. 2021, 東京大学社会科学研究所現代中国研究拠点, Invited
- Political Communication in Communist China: a Case Study of the Reporting System, 1948-1954Zhou JunKyoto University, Institute for Research in Humanities, Collaborative Research, Institutions and models of modern China, 23 Oct. 2020, Invited
- Chairman Mao Traveling across the Country: Historical Analysis and Geographic Information Systems VisualizationZhou Jun中国現代史研究会2020年秋季研究集会, 11 Oct. 2020
- Chairman Mao Traveling across the Country: Historical Analysis and Geographic Information Systems Visualization周 俊中国現代史研究会（東京）例会, 11 Jul. 2020
- Chairman Mao Travelled all over the Country: Space, Power and Information(1949-1954)Jun ZhouThe 2020 Spring Convention of the Japan Association for Asian Studies, 07 Jun. 2020, The Japan Association for Asian Studies (JAAS)
- Relationship between the Central Government and Local Governments of Communist China: a Case Study of the Neibu Cankao (1949-1954)Jun Zhou中国現代史研究会（東京）例会, 27 Sep. 2019
- The Ears and Eyes of the Chinese Communist Party: An Analysis on the Origin, Structure and Function of the Neibu Cankao (1949-1954)Jun Zhouトヨタ財団イニシアティブプログラム「中国学の再創生」, 14 Sep. 2019
- Political Communication in Communist China: a Case Study of the Reporting System, 1948-1954Jun Zhouアジア政経学会第21回定例研究会, 22 Dec. 2018, The Japan Association for Asian Studies (JAAS)
- The Southbound Cadre Mobilization on the Eve of the PRC's Foundation: Comparisons between Rural and Urban Areas of Northern ChinaJun Zhou一般社団法人中国研究所2018年第4回定例学術研究会, 01 Dec. 2018
- The Changing Relationship between Local and Outside Cadres in the Early Days of PRCJun ZHOUThe Chinese University of Hong Kong The Fourteenth Graduate Seminar on China, 05 Jan. 2018, Universities Service Centre for China Studies, CUHK-Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation Asia-Pacific Centre for Chinese Studies
Books and Other Publications
- The Nervous System of the Chinese Communist Party: Origins, Structure and Functions of the lnformation System（中国共产党的神经：信息系统的起源，构造，功能）Jun ZHOU, Single workThe University of Nagoya Press, Jun. 2024
- Reviving the History of 20th Century China by Reviewing Source Materials 20世纪中国史研究的资料复原 （open access）Jun ZHOU, Contributor, Encyclopedia of Agricultural Cooperation: The Birth and Death of “Socialist upsurge in China’ s countryside” 农业合作化的百科全书：《中国农村的社会主义高潮》的编纂、发行、评价Kyoto University, Institute for Research in Humanities, Jul. 2024, Refereed
- Catalogue of Materials on China's Modern History: Internal Periodicals in the Mao Era 中国当代史资料目录集：毛泽东时代的内部杂志（open access）Jun ZHOU, CompilationGlobal China Research Base, Institute of Social Science, The University of Tokyo, Mar. 2023
- 看得见与看不见的光：21人16国域外疫情观察日记魏磊杰, Contributor, 山川异域，风月同天：我的知日侧记当代世界出版社, Oct. 2020
- 習近平が変えた中国天児, 慧; 茅原, 郁生ほか, Contributor, 小事典小学館, Apr. 2018
Awards
- 01 Jul. 2025The Institute of Developing Economies of the Japan External Trade Organization, The 46th IDE-JETRO Award for the Promotion of Studies on Developing CountriesJapan, International academic awardJun ZhouAwarded for The Nerves of Chinese Communist Party: the Origin, Structure and Function of the lnformation System, The University of Nagoya Press, 2024.
- 31 Jul. 2025The Asia Pacific Forum, Awaji Conference Japan, The 24th Asia Pacific Research PrizeJapan, International academic awardJun ZhouAwarded for Doctoral Dissertation, “The Nerves of Chinese Communist Party: An Analysis of the Origin, Structure and Function of the lnformation Gathering and Processing System (1940s-1950s)”.
- Feb. 2024K.Matsushita Foundation(Panasonic), The 11th M. Matsushita Academic AwardJapan, PublisherJun ZhouAwarded for “The Nerves of Chinese Communist Party: the Origin, Structure and Function of the lnformation System” (Nagoya University Press, 2024). Declined due to restrictions on combining multiple publication subsidies.
- 25 Jan. 2020Institute of Chinese Affairs and The Japan Association for Modern China Studies, The 16th Ota Katsuhiro Memorial Academic Award for Chinese StudiesJapan, Official journalJun ZhouAwarded for “The Southbound Cadre Mobilization on the Eve of the PRC's Foundation: Comparisons between Rural and Urban Areas of Northern China”.
Media Coverage
- Person of the Day: Jun Zhou, Kyoto University Associate Professor Who Studies the Chinese Communist Party Through the Lens of InformationThe Ehime Shimbun, 08 Jul. 2026, Paper
- Person of the Day: Jun Zhou, Kyoto University Associate Professor Who Studies the Chinese Communist Party Through the Lens of InformationYamanashi Nichinichi Shimbun, 15 Jul. 2026, Internet
- "Secrecy Is in the CCP's DNA": Tightening Information Controls Seal Off the CCP's Historical Record47NEWS(Press Net Japan Co., Ltd.), 12 Jul. 2026, Internet
- China's Information Controls: Xi Jinping's Growing Obsession with Secrecy as CCP Rule Faces New ChallengesThe Ibaraki Shimbun, 23 Jun. 2026, Paper
- Person of the Day: Jun Zhou, Kyoto University Associate Professor Who Studies the Chinese Communist Party Through the Lens of InformationThe Kitanippon Shimbun, 08 Jul. 2026, Paper
- "Secrecy Is in the CCP's DNA": Tightening Information Controls Seal Off the CCP's Historical RecordThe Chugoku Shimbun, The Ehime Shimbun, The Hokkaido Shimbun, The Kobe Shimbun, The kumamoto Nichinichi Shinbun, The Nihonkai Shimbun, The Niigata Nippo, The Okinawa Times, The Saga Shimbun, The Sanyo Shimbun, The Shizuoka Shimbun, 07 Jul. 2026, Internet
- Person of the Day: Jun Zhou, Kyoto University Associate Professor Who Studies the Chinese Communist Party Through the Lens of InformationThe To-o Nippo, 02 Jul. 2026, Paper
- Person of the Day: Jun Zhou, Kyoto University Associate Professor Who Studies the Chinese Communist Party Through the Lens of InformationThe Hokkoku Shimbun, 朝刊【総合7】, 02 Jul. 2026, Paper
- Book Talk, The Nerves of Chinese Communist PartySinology-initiative, The University of Tokyo, 14 Jan. 2025, Internet
- Jun Zhou: A Rising Scholar of Chinese Communist Party History in JapanThe Asahi Shimbun, Japan, 13 Sep. 2025, Paper
- Mao Zedong’s Bias, Not False Information, Caused the Great FamineThe JoongAng Ilbo（중앙일보）, 27 Jan. 2025, Paper
- Why Dictators Make Mistakes? Mao Zedong and Xi Jinping: Their Misjudgments Are Not Simply a Matter of “Stupidity”Foresight, Shinchosha, 10 Oct. 2024, Internet
- Why Dictators Make Mistakes？ How Cognitive Biases Form Among Top CCP LeadersForesight, Shinchosha, 10 Oct. 2024, Internet
External funds: Kakenhi
- Strengthening Discursive Power in Chinese Diplomacy: The Mechanism of Generation, Selection, and ProjectionGrant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)Basic Section 80010:Area studies-relatedOsaka University of Economics and Law張 雪斌From 01 Apr. 2026, To 31 Mar. 2029, Granted中国政治外交;対外宣伝;戦略的コミュニケーション;言説パワー
- Origins of Information Collection Systems for Infectious Diseases in Modern ChinaGrant-in-Aid for Early-Career ScientistsBasic Section 03030:History of Asia and Africa-relatedKobe University周 俊From 01 Apr. 2024, To 31 Mar. 2028, Granted現代中国;感染症;情報;中国共産党;一党支配体制
- Re-creating the Historical Materials of the Chinese Communist PartyGrant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)Basic Section 03030:History of Asia and Africa-relatedKyoto University石川 禎浩From 01 Apr. 2024, To 31 Mar. 2027, Granted中国共産党;中国現代史;共産主義;資料
list
Last Updated :2026/09/11
Academic, Social Contribution
Committee Memberships
- From May 2026, To PresentExpert Committee Member, Research Center for Modern and Contemporary China, Institute for Research in Humanities, Kyoto University
- From May 2026, To PresentBoard Member, The Japan Association for Modern China Studies
- From Aug. 2025, To PresentEditorial board member, Asian Studies, Japan Association for Asian Studies
Academic Contribution
- Panel 4 [History II]: Human Beings in History: Reconsidering the Chinese Revolution and Socialism, The 76th Annual Conference of the Japan Association for Modern China StudiesPlanning, management, etc.The Japan Association for Modern China Studies, Tokyo Woman's Christian University, From 31 May 2026
- The 39th Regular Meeting of the Japan Association for Asian StudiesSupervision (editorial)the Japan Association for Asian Studies, Keio University, From 13 Dec. 2025
- The Japan Public Choice Society 28th MeetingSupervision (editorial)The Japan Public Choice Society, Doshisha University, From 15 Dec. 2024
- Propaganda in China and the World: A Comparative Historical Perspective on the PresentSupervision (editorial)The Society of Modern and Contemporary China Studies, Osaka University of Commerce, From 23 Mar. 2024
- Japan–China International Workshop: "New Perspectives in Chinese Communist Party and Chinese Revolutionary History Studies"Planning, management, etc., Panel moderatorOrganized by: Sinology Initiative, The University of Tokyo Co-organized by: School of Chinese Communist Party History and Party Building, Renmin University of China, Doshisha University, From 10 Dec. 2023
- Book Review Symposium on the Centennial History of the Chinese Communist PartyPlanning, management, etc.Organizer: Global China Research Center, The University of Tokyo; Co-organizer: Center for Modern Chinese Studies, Institute for Research in Humanities, Kyoto University, Kyoto University, From 05 Mar. 2023
