Dr. Weihong Bao

Biography

Weihong Bao is the Pamela P. Fong Family Distinguished Chair in China Studies and an Associate Professor of Film Media at the University of California, Berkeley. Bao's scholarship is distinguished by her extensive research in comparative media history, affect theory, propaganda theory, and Chinese language cinema, particularly from the early 20th century to the mid-1940s. Her notable publication, "Fiery Cinema: Emergence of an Affective Medium in China, 1915-1945," received an honorable mention for the Modernist Studies Association Book Prize in 2016. Her recent scholarly endeavors examine the relationship between medium and environment, combining elements of intellectual history, political theory, and cultural anthropology. As an editor, Bao has co-edited special issues of leading journals, contributing to the academic discourse on the intersection of media and climate. Her extensive experience also includes fellowships at prestigious institutions such as the Getty Research Institute and the National Humanities Center. Bao has held significant editorial roles, including serving as editor-in-chief for the "Journal of Chinese Cinemas" and co-editing a series on film theory and media history.

Research Interests

Experience