Dr Frank Dikotter at GSIS

We were exceptionally honored and lucky to have famed professor and historian Dr. Dikötter here with us on Thursday, March 14th. Dr Dikötter is the author of Mao’s Great Famine, which won the Samuel Johnson Prize in 2011, one of the most prestigious awards for non-fiction writing in the world, and has also achieved critical acclaim worldwide. It was fantastic to have him here sharing his extensive knowledge about 20th century China with us.

Dr.Dikötter discussed the events of the Great Chinese Famine and demonstrated that decisions coming from the top officials of the Chinese government in Beijing were the direct cause of the famine. His talk, though relevant to the book, also touched on topics not brought up in it. He brought up many anecdotes, which amused the audience.

Aside from the capturing humour, Dr Dikötter also shared cruel stories that arose during the dark period of Chinese history that placed 20th Century China into perspective. A fantastic question and answer session also provided inquisitive students a chance to ask Dr Dikötter about the research process behind his writing and his personal opinions on the period. The lecture was certainly useful for aspiring historians in the audience, as they benefitted from learning about the gathering of sources. It was a wonderful experience for the students to have Dr Dikötter speak to them on an issue close to his heart, and as representatives from the student body we would like to thank Dr Dikötter, Mrs Schuurman and Ms Griffiths-Zee for their valuable time and consideration that made the event a success.


Justin Wei and Denise Wong