Introduction

Jack Hayes joined the History and Asian Studies faculty at Kwantlen Polytechnic University in 2013. He is also a research affiliate with the Centre for Chinese Research at UBC’s Institute of Asian Research (and with UBC’s SPPGA) on the project China’s Environment, Science, & Sustainability (CESS) and affiliated with the Pacific Northwest China Forum. He has served on the editorial board and as Assistant Editor (reviews, Asia) for the journal Environmental History and Associate Editor (China) for Pacific Affairs. More recently he was chair of the Department of History at KPU from 2019-2022.

Dr. Hayes’ research examines late imperial and modern Chinese and Tibetan environmental history, resource development and ethnic relations in western China, and environmental policy and political development in China and wider East Asia. He has published articles on China’s environmental history and policy developments, ranging from recent research on fire ecosystems and policies in China’s southwest and northeast, wetlands and warfare in Chinese history, and natural and human-induced disasters and disaster management in modern history. His book A Change in Worlds on the Sino-Tibetan Borderlands (Lanham, MA: Lexington, 2013) is a social and environmental history of Sino-Tibetan north Sichuan. His current research project examines the history, policies and science of China’s wildfire and exurban firefighting. He is also working on a book on natural and human-induced disasters in modern global history (Taylor & Francis) and another on the environmental history of urban and wildfires in modern Chinese history. His teaching is multi-disciplinary, ranging from traditional geographical history (China, Japan) to thematic courses and seminars (comparative history, Tea in Asia, Drugs & Alcohol in Asia, etc.). In addition to his academic activities, Dr. Hayes has served as a consultant on a number of environment and history projects in China, Canada and the United States (in the past, the Sichuan Administrative Institute, Songpan County & Nyemo County governments PRC, Canadian School of Public Service, and USMC).

Regional Research Area

East Asia | China | Japan

Thematic Research Area

20th Century History | Environmental History | Policy & Political History