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Welcome

Dear Candidate

Thank you for your interest in the Betty Wu Lee Professorship of Women and the Arts of China before 1900 at the University of Cambridge.

This newly established endowed Professorship represents an exceptional opportunity to shape an important and growing field of scholarship. It is the first post in Cambridge’s history dedicated to women and the arts of China and marks a significant expansion of the University’s academic landscape. We are seeking a distinguished scholar of international stature who will advance understanding of Chinese art and material culture before 1900, with particular emphasis on women’s agency as patrons, artists, makers and cultural actors.

The appointment comes at an important moment for the Department of History of Art. Long recognised for the quality and intellectual rigour of its scholarship and teaching, the Department is undertaking an ambitious transformation to develop a more fully global approach to the history of art. The launch of the new MPhil in the Global History of Art and Architecture, alongside recent appointments in Early Modern Chinese Art, Islamic Art, and Modern and Contemporary African and Caribbean Art, reflects our commitment to broadening the geographical and cultural scope of our research and education.

The Betty Wu Lee Professor will play a central role in this development. Through pioneering research and innovative teaching, the successful candidate will place women’s contributions to the visual and material cultures of China firmly on the national and international research agenda. They will design and deliver new teaching across the undergraduate Tripos and postgraduate programmes, supervise doctoral students, support early-career researchers and help to build an inclusive and intellectually vibrant community of scholars, curators and arts professionals.

Cambridge offers an extraordinary environment in which to undertake this work. The University’s collections provide exceptional opportunities for object-based scholarship, including the outstanding holdings of Chinese art at the Fitzwilliam Museum and the extensive Chinese collections of the University Library. Further opportunities exist through the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, the University’s Colleges and libraries, and the technical and conservation expertise of the Hamilton Kerr Institute. Many objects and archives remain understudied, uncatalogued or undisplayed, creating considerable potential for original research, exhibitions and public engagement.

The successful candidate will be encouraged to build interdisciplinary networks across the University, including with colleagues in Cambridge Collections and the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies. They will also have the opportunity to establish national and international partnerships, convene seminars, conferences and colloquia, develop externally funded research programmes and foster dialogue among academics, students, museum professionals and wider audiences. In doing so, they will contribute to a deeper understanding of art history as a global phenomenon and to new interpretations of the relationships between artistic traditions and cultures.

Alongside their research and teaching, the Professor will contribute actively to the academic leadership and governance of the Department, the Faculty of Architecture and History of Art and the wider University. We are therefore seeking an outstanding scholar who combines intellectual distinction with generosity, collegiality and a strong commitment to mentoring others.