Luo Wei

I am currently enrolled in the department of Central Eurasian Studies (CEUS). I am pursuing a Ph.D. in Mongol empire and Yuan dynasty history. Broadly my research is on Chinese and Inner Asia history. My current research investigates the interaction between nomadic cultures and sedentary cultures, especially the interaction and mutual interpretation between Mongol and Han culture in the Mongol Empire and Yuan Dynasty.

I chose IU-Bloomington for graduate school because IUB has the best Inner Asian studies department in America. I have finished two years of study in a Ph.D. program at Peking University(PKU), Beijing, China and got the scholarship from CSC successfully to continue study at IUB. My advisor Professor Christopher P. Atwood is one of the top scholars in the field of Mongol studies all over the world. The Inner Asian studies resources that are available here at IUB are unmatched.

I am very fortunate to receive an education and training from the best universities in my field. IUB and PKU are both top research institutions in historical research. I have published two historical articles in two well-known academic journals in China. I am also very proud to be sponsored by a Chinese government scholarship to study at Indiana University, Bloomington.

The thing I like most about Bloomington is the Herman B. Wells Library. In the Wells I enjoy the large collection of Western and Central Asian books. In Beijing even in PKU’s library and the Chinese national library I couldn’t find many Western and Near East books in my field. However in Wells I can find them very easily through IUCAT, and the various other library services are also very good. In addition, IUB campus is one of the best in United States. The campus buildings are western classical style and look like the castle in the fairy tale. Many forest parks around Bloomington are also very beautiful. For me, Bloomington is heaven in my mind.