George L. Kallander
Professor and Director of Graduate Studies, History Department
Director, East Asia Program
Highest degree earned
Bio
George Kallander’s research focuses on premodern and early modern Korea. He is author of three books: “Human-Animal Relations and the Hunt in Korea and Northeast Asia” (Edinburgh University Press, 2023), “The Diary of 1636: The Second Manchu Invasion of Korea” (Columbia University Press, 2020), and “Salvation through Dissent: Tonghak Heterodoxy and Early Modern Korea” (University of Hawai’i Press, 2013). He is also co-editor of the “Cambridge History of Korea” project, the Chosŏn Dynasty volume, for which he is contributing a chapter.
Kallander has received fellowships from the Institute for Advanced Study (Princeton), the Academy of Korean Studies, and Columbia University. He teaches a number of courses on Korea, Japan, the Korean War, East Asia, and global history.
Areas of Expertise
Research Interests
Research Grant Awards and Projects
Geiss and Hsu Foundation of Ming Dynasty Studies, Book Subvention Grant, 2020
Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton NJ, School of Historical Studies, Member, fall 2014-spring 2015
Academy of Korean Studies, Korean Classics Grant, Project Director, 2013-present
Association for Asian Studies, Book Subvention Grant, 2012
Pigott Faculty Research Grant, Syracuse University, 2012
Research Fellow, Academy of Korean Studies, Seoul, Korea, 2009-2010
Harvard-Yenching Library Travel Grant, Harvard University, 2009
Appleby-Mosher Travel Grants, Syracuse University, 2007-2009
Weatherhead East Asian Fellow, Columbia University, 2005-2006
Sasakawa Young Leaders Fellowship, 2004-2005
Fulbright Fellowship, Dissertation Research Grant, Korea, 2001-2002
Weatherhead Fellowship (Mongolia), Columbia University, 2000, 2001
Korea Foundation Fellowship, 1998-2000
FLAS Award, 1998, 1999
Publications
Human-Animal Relations and the Hunt in Korea and Northeast Asia. Edinburgh University Press, May 2023
The Diary of 1636: The Second Manchu Invasion of Korea. Columbia University Press, August 2020
Salvation through Dissent: Tonghak Heterodoxy and Early Modern Korea. University of Hawai’i Press, January 2013
Presentations and Events
“Controlling Wild Animals and Beastly Monarchs: Early Choson Kings in a Post-Mongol World.” Presentation, Academy of Korean Studies Europe, October 30, 2021.
“The Diary of 1636 and the Manchu Invasions of Korea.” Presentation, Book Talk Series on Chosŏn Korea, George Washington University, March 29, 2021.
“The Manchu Invasions of Korea and the Diary of 1636.” Presentation, Center for Korean Studies, Columba University, February 22, 2021.
“Years of Living Dangerously: The Diary of 1636 and the Manchu Invasions of Korea.” Presentation, Royal Asiatic Society of Korea (Seoul), January 26, 2021.
“Cambridge History of Korea Chapter: Tonghak and Dissent.” Presentation, Academy of Korean Studies Europe (AKSE), Rome, Italy, April 2019.
“The Royal Hunt in Korea: A Global Perspective.” Presentation, Strange Parallels in Korean History, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland, January 2019.
“Treat Others as Though They Were Heaven: Tonghak Religious Teachings and Women in Nineteenth-Century Korea.” Association for Asian Studies, Toronto, April 2017.
“Cambridge History of Korea Project: Chosŏn Dynasty.” Roundtable discussion, World Congress on Korean Studies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia PA. October 2016.
“Cambridge History of Korea Project: Chosŏn Dynasty.” Roundtable discussion with Professors Eugene Park and Michael Pettid, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY. April 2016.
“Elite Leisure and the Hunt in Chosŏn Dynasty Korea.” James Joo-Jin Kim Program in Korean Studies Talk, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia PA. November 2015.
“The Royal Hunt in Thirteenth Century Korea: Koryŏ and the Mongol Empire.” Lunchtime Lecture, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton NJ, .March 2015.
“The Politics of the Hunt in Premodern and Early Modern Korea.” East Asian Seminar, Institute for Advanced Study, February 2015, Princeton NJ.
“Overview of Nineteenth Century Korea.” Invited discussion, Cambridge History of Korea workshop, Northeast Asia History Foundation, Seoul, Korea, July 2014.
“Chosŏn Dynasty Korea: A Brief Overview of Current Trends in Western Scholarship.” Invited lecture, Academy of Korean Studies Conference on Korean Studies, Seoul, Korea, October 2013.
“The Royal Hunt in Korea: Koryŏ-Mongol Interactions in the Late Thirteenth Century.” Invited lecture, Nam Center for Korean Studies, University of Michigan, November 2012.
“Taming the Beast: The Elite Hunt in Korean History.” Paper presented at the Yonsei Forum, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea, July 2012.
“Building Regional Trust in East Asia: The Korea Factor and the First Sino-Japanese War, 1592-1598.” Invited paper presented at conference “Interregional Dynamics in Constructive Turmoil,” Le Havre University, Le Havre, France, April 2012.
“Hunting Trips, Confucian Texts, and Quada’an: Koryo- Mongol Interactions in the Late Thirteenth Century.” Paper presented at the Association for Asian Studies, Toronto, Canada, March 2012.
“From Religion to Rebellion: Tonghak in Korean History and Memory.” Invited lecture, Korea Institute, Harvard University, February 2012.
“Modern Korean History and Culture” and “Teaching Korea in the Classroom.” Invited workshop presentations, Korean Studies, Overseas Korean Foundation, World Languages Department, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Michigan, November 2010.
“Understanding Korea in East Asia: Cultural Commonality, Cultural Divergence.” Invited presentation for the Michigan Chapter, National Association of Korean Schools, Asian Studies Center, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, August 2010.
“Korean Politics and Society.” Invited lecture, Academy of Korean Studies Summer School, Korea, July 2010.
“Eastern Bandits or Revolutionary Soldier? The 1894 Tonghak Uprising in Korean History and Memory.” Invited presentation at the Academy of Korean Studies, Korea, July 2010.
“Tonghak in Early Modern Korean History.” Invited lecture, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea, July 2010.
“Cultural Perspectives on Northeast Asian Regionalism.” Invited presentation at Le Havre University, Le Havre, France, March 2010.
Previous Teaching Appointments
Syracuse University, Maxwell School, Department of History, Syracuse, N.Y.
Associate Professor of History, fall 2013-Present
Assistant Professor of History, fall 2006-2013
Teach a variety of graduate and undergraduate courses on Korean, East Asian and world history, including “Premodern Korea,” “Modern Korea,” “The Korean War,” “Modern Japan,” “Japan before Tokugawa,” “Korean-Japanese Relations,” “East Asia,” “Cultural Relations in East Asia,” “East Asia and the Socialist Experience,” and world history courses “Global History to 1750” and “Global History since 1750.” Designed History Department Global History sequence.
Weatherhead East Asian Institute, Columbia University, New York, N.Y.
Postdoctoral Fellow, Expanding East Asian Studies Program, fall 2005-summer 2006
Assisted program director in creating college and university curricula on Korean and East Asian history and culture. Designed and taught a graduate/undergraduate history seminar entitled “Korea in East Asia and the World.”
Queens College, Flushing, N.Y.
Adjunct Instructor, fall 2004-spring 2005
Taught two courses in the fall semester: an undergraduate lecture “Introduction to East Asian History and Culture” and a graduate seminar “History of Korea.” In the spring semester, taught two undergraduate lectures: “Introduction to East Asian History and Culture” and “Japanese History.” In all courses, formulated course syllabi, structure and requirements, as well as lectured and administered all grades.
Columbia University, New York, N.Y.
Teaching Assistant, spring 2004
Assisted Professor Theodore de Bary in his seminar “Asian Humanities: Colloquium on Major Texts.” Led class discussions, graded midterm and final papers and helped administer final oral examinations.
Research Assistant, fall 2003-spring 2004
Helped organize academic project on epistolography in Korean history with Professor JaHyun Kim Haboush, selected and translated pre-twentieth-century Korean texts from classical Chinese and edited academic papers for publication.
National University of Mongolia, School of Foreign Service, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Visiting Lecturer, fall 2002-spring 2003
Lectured to graduate students on history and politics of Korea and Northeast Asia (two courses with 15 students each), created syllabi, composed and graded exams.
Columbia University New York, N.Y.
Teaching Assistant, fall 1998-spring 2001
Assisted Professors Gari Ledyard and Helen Koh in two courses a year titled “Korean Civilization” and “Korean Lives.” Led weekly discussion sections and helped grade exams and quizzes. For Professor Koh, helped create curriculum, composed exam questions and term paper assignments, and gave class lectures.
Teaching Assistant, Korean Language Program, fall 1998-spring 2001
Assisted Professor Carol Schulz on Korean language textbook project, proofread translations, and provided suggestions on textbook revisions.
Assistant to Director, Center for Korean Research, East Asian Institute, fall 1998-spring 2000
Responsibilities included running day-to-day affairs of the office, budget management, conference arrangements and liaison between the Center and the Korea Foundation in Seoul, Korea.