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I am an associate professor at the Department of East Asian Studies, University of Vienna. My research focuses on state-society relations in China. Most of my work revolves around how the state seeks to shape society, and social forces carve out space for action. I have published on popular protest, social trust, civil society and political identities. I am currently principal investigator of a European Research Council funded project ENGINEERING on the Social Credit System, where we study the popular perception of social credit and privacy, social trust, as well as the evolution of different social engineering endeavors by the Chinese state.

I hold an MA (Diplom) in Social Science (Humboldt University, Berlin) and a Ph.D. in Political Science (Chinese University of Hong Kong). Before coming to Vienna, I have been postdoctoral visiting research fellow at the East Asian Institute, National University of Singapore and assistant professor at the Centre for China Studies, Chinese University of Hong Kong. 

My writing was published by outlets such as the China Journal, Journal of Contemporary China, Modern China, European Political Science Review, or Political Studies. My research has been funded by the Hong Kong Research Grants Council, the Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation and the European Research Council.

Contact:

University of Vienna

Department of East Asian Studies

Spitalgasse 2

Hof 2, Tür 2.3

1090 Vienna - Austria


Email: hc.steinhardt@univie.ac.at

Departmental website

Research gate

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