Mingran Cao
Mingran Cao is a PhD candidate at the Institute for Area Studies, Leiden University. His research interests center on the modern history of China, with particular focus in state-business relations, environmental transformation, and spatial change. Alongside his academic work, he has held positions at think tanks and non-governmental organizations in China and the United States, including the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China. His publications have appeared in peer-reviewed journals and media outlets such as Planning Perspectives, The Chinese Historical Review, and The Paper.
Mingran’s PhD project explores cotton plantations in coastal Jiangsu from the 1895 to the 1950. It investigates how land reclamation companies, responsible for founding and managing the plantations, negotiated with the state, society, and the environment. It also examines how these companies mobilized global currents of knowledge and technology to transform the region.
Research interests
- Modern Chinese History
- Political Economy
- Europe-China Relations
- Social and Economic History
- Environment
