Christopher Leighton, assistant professor of history and Class of 1948 Career Development Chair at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, will present Dickinson’s Flaherty Lecture, “Revolutionary Rich: Businessmen in China's Transitions,” on Wednesday, April 1, at 7 p.m. in Althouse 106.
Leighton will explore the fate of businessmen in the early People’s Republic of China, focusing on how they became integral parts of the emerging socialist system as “red capitalists” in the 1950s and the legacy of this integration as China transitioned back to capitalism in the 1980s. Leighton studies modern China, with particular focus on business, culture, urban history and the Chinese Communist Party.
The Donald W. Flaherty Lecture in Asian Studies is supported by a fund established by students, colleagues and friends of Donald Flaherty, a former professor and pioneer in the development of Asian studies at Dickinson. The lectureship brings to campus scholars and speakers who reflect Flaherty’s lifelong interest in all aspects of Asian history, culture and politics. Since the inaugural lecture in 1987-88, prominent Asianists have spoken on topics ranging from “Reflections on the Nature of Japanese Society” to "Preserving Pain, Promoting Peace: Learning from the Memorials at Hiroshima, Nanjing and My Lai.”
Published March 31, 2015