Tian Jing Teh

Tian Jing Teh (He/Him) is a Ph.D. candidate in East Asian Languages and Cultures at the University of Southern California, specializing in trans-Asian literature and cultural studies of the twentieth century, critical island and archipelagic studies, and oceanic and eco-media theory. Prior to joining USC, he received an M.A. in Comparative Literature and World Literature from Beijing Normal University, China, and a B.A. in Chinese Studies (Hons., with Distinction) from Xiamen University Malaysia.

His research examines modern and contemporary literary and media representations of islands, coastlines, and marine frontiers across East and Southeast Asia. By tracing how histories of colonialism, migration, and ecological transformation converge in transoceanic cultural forms, his work theorizes the “transcoastal” as a mode of relation that connects minor archipelagos and coastal imaginaries across the Western Pacific. More broadly, he is interested in inter-Asian cultural circulation, postcolonial ecologies, and the intersections of environmental media, memory, and modernity.

His research has been supported by the MLA Edward Guiliano Global Fellowship, the Association for Asian Studies–Japan Foundation Workshop Grant, the Lo Chia-luen International Sinology Scholarship at National Chengchi University, the Ying-shih Yü International Center for History and the Chinese Humanities Visiting Junior Fellowship at National Taiwan University, and by multiple USC grants from the Transpacific Studies Center, East Asian Studies Center, Korean Studies Institute, Dornsife PhD Academy, and Asian Pacific Alumni Association.

Advisor: Professor Brian Bernards