I am writing to express my gratitude for all that the Center for Chinese Studies’ donors have made possible. I have received fellowship support from CCS on multiple occasions, supporting both research in China and research and dissertation writing in Berkeley. My dissertation, “Empire of Luck: Trust and Suspicion in China’s Early Empires, 221 BCE-317 CE,” examines institutional debates and practices in early China related to “trust” and “luck/favor.” For this project, I have used many excavated sources, especially legal and administrative texts excavated from Qin, Han, Wei and Jin sites. During the 2017-2018 academic year, a CCS fellowship allowed me to conduct research at the Center for Bamboo and Silk Manuscripts and the Department of History at Wuhan University. While in residence at Wuhan University, I was able to participate in excavated text reading groups, take classes on Qin/Han epigraphy, and visit museums and archeological sites in Hubei, Hunan, and Henan. This work was essential for both my current and future research. I was able to hone important excavated manuscript reading skills essential for my current and future work. Since returning from Wuhan, CCS has also generously supported continued research and dissertation write-up in Berkeley. As I apply for academic jobs and post-doctoral fellowships this year, my family and I are thankful for all of the support CCS fellowships and the CCS community have provided us over the past few years.
逢此春節之季，我想向中國研究中心的捐助人表示感謝。您們對中國研究中心的捐助為我博士論文的研究及撰寫提供了豐厚的支持。我的博士論文題目為“僥倖的帝國：中國早期帝國的信與疑，217 BCE-317 CE，”主要研究對象是秦漢及魏晉時期以“信”與“幸”為中心的制度議論與制度實踐。為了完成這項研究，我利用了許多早期的出土文獻，尤其是法律與行政文書方面的文獻。在2017-2018年間，由於中國研究中心的資助，我得以在武漢大學的簡帛研究中心及歷史系進修，並在此期間，參加了學術會議與出土文獻的讀書班，也修了秦漢出土文獻與文字學的相關課程。修課之餘，也參訪了湖北、湖南、河南等地的博物館與考古點。這些學習機會為我博士論文研究乃至以後的學術研究提供了扎實的訓練，使我的研究前景再上了一個台階。自返伯克利以來，中國研究中心繼續資助著我論文的撰寫，讓我能專心的寫作。今值申請教職與博士後之時，回想中國研究中心幾年以來對我的幫助與支持，頗為感動。在此，我與我家人想向中國研究中心的捐助人表示衷心的感謝。
— Trenton Wilson
Chinese History
Department of History
CCS Fellowship Recepient