The Division of Arts and Humanities at Duke Kunshan University is pleased to announce that Constellations of Memory: Transnational Heritage Networks and the Afterlives of War has been selected to for a three-year research grant from 2026 to 2028 from UNESCO. The three-year grant is part of the Transnational Heritage Joint Research Grant program and will be administered by the Korean National Commission for UNESCO.
Following a competitive pilot phase and formal international review, the project secured full three-year funding. The research is team includes Professor Kolleen Guy (Duke Kunshan University), Professor Yujie Zhu (Australian National University) and Professor Jay Winter (Yale University).
The project examines how museums, archives, memorials, and survivor communities form transnational “constellations of memory” that shape the remembrance of civilian suffering in the Second World War. Focusing particularly on Jewish refugees in Shanghai and transnational networks connected to the history of the so-called “comfort women,” the research explores how heritage can move beyond national narratives to foster dialogue, recognition, and intercultural understanding.
The three-year initiative will produce a co-authored monograph, peer-reviewed publications, digital mapping tools, and public-facing heritage programming. The project strengthens DKU’s position as a global hub for research on history, heritage, and transnational cultural dialogue. The UNESCO project will also contribute to the Humanities Research Center’s Heritage Lab at Duke Kunshan University, strengthening its role as a platform for innovative research and student engagement.
