2025 Global Research Trips

In 2025, graduate students from across SGS' M.A. programs conducted fieldwork through Global Perspectives Awards, which are made possible through the generous support of Mr. Dapeng Zhu and Ms. Xiao Liu. Read a few highlights about their experiences abroad below. 

Insights into China's largest resettlement project

Yi Jun Lim, East Asian Studies

My research examined the impacts of development initiatives in rural northwestern China. I specifically focused on Hongsibu District, a county-level unit in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, because it was a fascinating case study. We used satellite data to analyze the land use changes of the district after resettlement. The district was built mainly to house resettled migrants from southern Ningxia and provide them with better socioeconomic opportunities. Building Hongsibu District is also China's largest resettlement effort yet—approximately 230,000 migrants have been resettled there. I wanted to learn more about the intensive human resettlement efforts and the concentrated development efforts to build a district entirely from scratch. I was inspired to research more about the Chinese political economy and rural development after taking Prof. Jean Oi's class, POLISCI 443: Political Economy of Reform in China.

The field trip was valuable because it provided me with a lot of first-hand knowledge that I otherwise would not have known about. Part of Hongsibu District's economic revitalization strategy is to become a wine tourist destination. I learned that Hongsibu District relies heavily on Fujian Province as a trading partner to sell its local products, and this arrangement goes a long way back because of their relationship as sister provinces. I also learned that resettled migrants had to build their houses from scratch. To keep building costs low, they took turns building one another's houses. Knowing these little details and how they contributed to the district's development was eye-opening. This research complemented my East Asian Studies M.A. journey at Stanford because it allowed me to apply what I've learned outside of the classroom and have a more tangible understanding of my course materials.

Social robots in Japan

Montana Gray, East Asian Studies

My research focused on understanding how social robots are designed, deployed, and integrated into Japanese society. I was drawn to this topic because Japan offers a unique lens into the future of robotics: a society grappling with demographic challenges while prioritizing harmony and emotional connection with artificial machines. I wanted to understand the human stories and design philosophies behind these robots.

During my time in Japan, I conducted fieldwork at Waseda University's AIREC (AI and Robotics Research) lab, a lab that has been at the cutting edge of robotics for over 30 years. These conversations provided insights into both technical challenges and considerations unique to Japan, from acceptance in homes to questions of how robots should appear and interact in society. I immersed myself in real-world applications at the Pepper Cafe, where I observed Softbank's robots interacting with customers, and at the LOVOT Cafe, where I experienced GROOVE X's approach to companion robotics designed purely for emotional connection. I interviewed founders of humanoid robotics companies about their vision and challenges. I also connected with Tokyo's AI community at a pitch and VC event at Sakura DeepTech, which gave me valuable perspective on the current investment landscape and commercial applications of AI.

My most significant realization was about the gap between technological capability and meaningful implementation. The robots I encountered were technically impressive, yet their success depended less on advanced AI and more on careful attention to context, user expectations, and cultural nuance. Effective social robotics isn't about making robots more human but understanding what specific human needs a robot can meaningfully address.

This research complemented my Stanford work by grounding theoretical questions about human-robot interaction in lived reality. At Stanford, I engage with frameworks, papers, and prototypes. In Japan, I saw how these concepts translate into actual products and services. The experience challenged my assumptions. Japan's approach to social robotics, with its emphasis on aesthetics, indirect communication, and acceptance of robots in social roles, pushed me to question Western paradigms and consider how culture shapes fundamental questions about what robots should be and do. This grant made possible a research experience that couldn't be replicated through literature review or remote interviews. Being physically present in Japan's robotics ecosystem gave me insights that will inform not just my thesis but my entire approach to understanding technology's role in society.

Archival research in Rome on writer Anna Ivanovna Abrikosova

Stella Webster, Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies

This past March, I did research at three libraries and archives in Rome, including the Istituto Storico Domenicano, the Archivio storico di Dicastero per le Chiese Orientali, and the Archivio dei Padri Assunzionisti, to gather material for my master's thesis project on Anna Ivanovna Abrikosova (1882–1936), a Russian Catholic writer and religious leader persecuted by the Soviet authorities in the 1920s and 1930s. 

I was originally drawn to this research topic because I was fascinated by Abrikosova's pivotal role in Soviet Russia's small Russian Catholic minority as a powerful woman with connections to both the Russian pre-revolutionary elite and the literary intelligentsia of early Soviet Russia. My research helped me uncover several important primary sources, including memoirs and letters, that illuminated both how Abrikosova conceived of herself as a martyr and offered the perspectives of contemporaries who knew her personally. 

In the process of doing this research, I was also able to get a glimpse into the labyrinthine workings of the world of Roman archives, which I definitely want to return to at some point during my future Ph.D. studies. My entire research trip in Rome, including the process of planning my travel and accommodations, as well as establishing connections with archivists, was a great learning experience for me. Overall, it was the highlight of my time at Stanford and has left me excited to pursue more archival research abroad in the future.