Dr. Janice Jeong

Biography

Janice Jeong is an Assistant Professor in the Department of History at Simon Fraser University. Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, she spent her childhood years in Seoul, South Korea. She completed her undergraduate studies at Duke University, where her growing interest in topics related to the Middle East, Muslim societies, and the Arabic language began. Continuing her academic journey, she engaged in East Asian studies and received Chinese linguistic training while studying in South Korea. After participating in various study abroad programs, she earned her Ph.D. in History with a Certificate in History and Anthropology from Duke University. From 2021 to 2023, she served as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Göttingen in Germany, working on the project “Worldmaking from a Global Perspective: Dialogue with China,” funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education. Jeong joined Simon Fraser University at the end of 2023. Her research interests lie in bridging divides in area studies through the application of transnational history and the history of anthropology. Currently, she is working on a book project that explores the pilgrimage and diaspora networks of Chinese Muslims (Hui people) in the twentieth century, investigating the significance of Mecca as both a symbolic and real place for trans-regional interactions. Jeong's ongoing research further examines labor migrations of South Koreans to Saudi Arabia during the late Cold War, as well as the growth and politicization of the Korean Muslim community during this period.

Research Interests

Experience