Longkai Zang

Longkai was born in Luoyang, an ancient Chinese capital marked by cycles of war and renewal, where deep historical layers shape cultural consciousness. Initially pursuing medical laboratory science, he became increasingly unsettled by the instrumentalism and reductionism of modern experimental science, prompting a shift to the history of science. His research now focuses on the social and intellectual history of human evolution, examining how evolutionary theory has been intertwined with narratives of human identity and societal development. Having studied in Beijing and Tokyo, he explores the concept of East-Asianness and seeks to position East Asia not as a passive recipient but as an active site in the global history of science. He is particularly interested in how naturalistic explanations of human origins have impacted non-Western societies, and what alternative epistemologies or cultural responses have emerged in their wake.