Asia South & East Asia

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Nicole Elizabeth Barnes

Associate Professor of History

nicole.barnes@duke.edu
Prasenjit Duara

Oscar L. Tang Family Distinguished Professor of East Asian Studies

prasenjit.duara@duke.edu

Duara CV May 2021
Mélanie Aimée Marie Lamotte

Assistant Professor of History

melanie.lamotte@duke.edu

Prof. Lamotte's personal website
Simon Partner

Professor of History

spartner@duke.edu
Sumathi Ramaswamy

James B. Duke Distinguished Professor of History

sr76@duke.edu

Latest News

“Disobedient Subjects: Bombay 1930–31” Opens at CDS on October 30

October 24, 2025

Durham, NC – Duke Center for Documentary Studies (CDS), in collaboration with the Alkazi Foundation for the Arts in New Delhi, presents Disobedient Subjects: Bombay 1930–31, an exhibition of 55 photographs that transport viewers to the heart of India’s Civil Disobedience Movement against British colonial rule.The opening reception on Thursday, October 30, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at CDS, features remarks by curators Avrati Bhatnagar, instructor of history and international comparative studies at… read more about “Disobedient Subjects: Bombay 1930–31” Opens at CDS on October 30 »

History Hub Workshop with Nicole Barnes: "Think Before You Flush"

March 26, 2024

On February 29, Professor Barnes presented one chapter of her book script, “Think Before You Flush: Your Body’s Secrets to a Healthier Ecosystem”. The professors and students from the Duke and UNC history departments attended the meeting and raised interesting questions about 20th-century China’s manure disposal. Those whose fields lie in agriculture and commerce in modern Europe and America drove the discussion to understand China’s building of a modern face treatment system from a global perspective. They suggested the… read more about History Hub Workshop with Nicole Barnes: "Think Before You Flush" »

Dr. Esther Kim Lee Discusses "Yellowface" at Fall Colloquium

September 20, 2023

On September 13th, at the first installment of the Fall 2023 History Colloquium series, theater historian Dr. Esther Kim Lee discussed her book, Made-Up Asians: Yellowface During the Exclusion Era, the first comprehensive look at yellowface, or white actors portraying Asian characters, in American cinema. Dr. Lee presented a brief introductory slideshow, showing archival images she'd encountered, followed by a discussion of the work. Topics ranged from the globalized nature of racial performance, why there are… read more about Dr. Esther Kim Lee Discusses "Yellowface" at Fall Colloquium »

Prof. Prasenjit Duara delivers 2020 AAS Presidential Address

May 15, 2020

Due to the cancellation of the Association of Asian Studies 2020 Annual Conference, 2019-20 AAS President Prasenjit Duara did not have the opportunity to deliver his Presidential Address in Boston. We are pleased to announce that Duara’s talk, “The Art of Convergent Comparison: China and India in Modern Times,” is available as a narrated slideshow. read more about Prof. Prasenjit Duara delivers 2020 AAS Presidential Address »

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