Being Chinese overseas

Wang Gungwu did not set out to study the history of the overseas Chinese, but he is now renowned in this relatively new field

Professor Wang Gungwu's considerable body of work on the overseas Chinese was recognised last month by the Tang Prize Foundation of Taiwan, which conferred on him the Tang Prize for Sinology.
Professor Wang Gungwu's considerable body of work on the overseas Chinese was recognised last month by the Tang Prize Foundation of Taiwan, which conferred on him the Tang Prize for Sinology. ST FILE PHOTO
New: Gift this subscriber-only story to your friends and family

Professor Wang Gungwu is the quintessential overseas Chinese.

He was born in Surabaya, Indonesia, in 1930. He grew up in Ipoh in what is now Malaysia and went to university in Nanjing, Singapore and London.

Already a subscriber? 

Read the full story and more at $9.90/month

Get exclusive reports and insights with more than 500 subscriber-only articles every month

Unlock these benefits

  • All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com

  • Easy access any time via ST app on 1 mobile device

  • E-paper with 2-week archive so you won't miss out on content that matters to you

Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Sunday Times on July 12, 2020, with the headline Being Chinese overseas. Subscribe