B (Bowen) Ran, MA

Biography

Bowen Ran is a PhD candidate and researcher at Erasmus University Rotterdam.

Working at the intersection of contemporary cultural history, public history, and philosophy of history, his research explores the practical power and socio-political implications of historical representation—what history and history-making do—in a global context, from both empirical and philosophical perspectives.

His doctoral dissertation “Historiographic Activism: Edward Palmer Thompson, Natalie Zemon Davis, and the Configuration of Historical Distance” examines how and to what extent scholarly historical writing can constitute a form of political engagement in the second half of the twentieth century.

He is also the principal investigator of “Memory as Care,” a public history project funded by Resilient Delta Initiative of Convergence. Bringing together academics and social-sector partners, the project explores how participatory storytelling can foster the well-being, social belonging, and mnemonic inclusion of older Chinese immigrants in Rotterdam.

Alongside his academic research, Ran works as a freelance academic translator, having translated books, articles, and audiovisual materials into Chinese. He also co-runs a social media platform dedicated to history and theory, which facilitates intellectual exchange between the Sinophone academic world and the West.