Dr. William Figueroa
William Figueroa holds a PhD in History and a Masters in East Asian Studies from the University of Pennsylvania, as well as a BA in Anthropology and Asian Studies from Rice University.
Figueroa’s research interests include Iran-China relations, modern Iranian and Chinese history and society, historical and contemporary Sino-Iranian and Sino-Middle Eastern relations, Maoism, Cold War history, and the Global 1960s. His dissertation, “China and the Iranian Left: Transnational Networks of Social, Cultural, and Ideological Exchange,” explores connections between Iranian and Chinese constitutionalists, socialists, and Maoists from the early 1900s to the late 1970s, and forms the basis of his current book project. His recent publications include “Performative Diplomacy: Iran–Republic of China Relations, 1920–1949” in Iranian Studies and “China and the Iranian Revolution: New Perspectives on Sino-Iranian Relations, 1965–1979” in Asian Affairs. He has also written about contemporary Sino-Iranian, Sino-Israeli, and Sino-Palestinian relations for outlets like The Diplomat, Jadaliyya, and Bourse and Bazaar.