Basics
Field
History of Science
Email
clemh@yorku.ca
Profile
PhD student in History of Science, studying nineteenth-century Sino-French encounters in the field of natural history
Education
2025–present
PhD in History
Supervisor: Prof. Joan Judge. Dissertation project: “The Naturalist Activities of French Missionaries in Sino-Tibetan Borderlands, 1844–1870”
2024–2026
Joint-degree MA in Transcultural Studies, summa cum laude
Supervisors: Prof. Joachim Kurtz and Prof. Kjell David Ericson. Thesis: “David’s Black-and-White Bear: Global Networks of Science and Religion via the MNHN’s First Giant Pandas, 1869”
2016–2017
MA in Museum Studies, summa cum laude
Supervisor: Prof. Jeremy Tanner. Thesis: “Anachronism in Exhibitions: An Approach to Cultural Memories Inspired by Aby Warburg”
2012–2016
BA in Theory and History of Art
Minor in Economics. Thesis: “Sacred Moments of the Senses: Ferdinand Hodler’s System of Bodily Symbols.” Exchange at Sciences Po, Paris (Certificat en sciences sociales et humanités), 2015–2016
Additional Education
2025
German Intensive Course (B1.1)
2023–2024
Japanese Intensive Course (advanced level)
Excellence Award in the speech contest
2013–2015
French Courses (B1–C1)
2015
Summer Program in Western Art History
Research Fields
History of Science
Especially the history of natural history
French Colonialism
The nineteenth-century French empire
Transnational History
Connections between East Asia and Europe
Global Knowledge Exchange
Circulations of knowledge and their local impacts
Art History
The politics of display in museums
Awards & Grants
2026–2029
Canada Graduate Research Scholarship—Doctoral
2026
Shorrock Travel Award
2025
Ontario Graduate Scholarship for PhD Students
2025
Scholarship for Joint-Degree MA Students
2024
Scholarship for Humanities Students from East Asia
2023
Connections Through Culture Grant
Funded the exhibition project Chris Zhongtian Yuan: No Door, One Window, Only Light.
2012–2016
Scholarship for Community Service
Memberships
Society for the History of Natural History (SHNH)
French Colonial Historical Society (FCHS)
Association for Asian Studies (AAS)
Professional Experience
2021–2023
Curator and Researcher
2018–2021
Public Relations Officer and Researcher
2017–2018
Personal Assistant
Languages
Mandarin
Native
English
Proficient · IELTS 8 · TOEFL 109
French
Proficient · DALF C1
Japanese
Proficient · JLPT N1
German
Intermediate · B1
Tibetan
Basic