James Watson-Krips is a Ph.D. candidate focusing on Chinese history from the late Qing to the Reform era, with particular emphasis on various modes of mobility and their impact on the growth and development of urban life and society. Before joining Princeton's East Asian Studies department, James spent a number of years in Beijing, where he worked in various roles across China's communications and automotive sectors. He earned his B.A. summa cum laude in East Asian Studies from Dickinson College, where he explored the relationship between urban modernity and Shanghai jazz music, and holds a Graduate Certificate in Chinese and American studies from the Hopkins-Nanjing Center.