Smithsonian Journeys Experts

Ken Hammond is a historian with expertise in Asia and the cultural and intellectual history of China. As a professor at New Mexico State University, he also teaches courses on the history of Central Asia and the Silk Road and has taught at the China Studies Program in Beijing. Ken has a breadth and depth of knowledge as reflected in his 36-lecture series for “The Great Courses,” entitled From Yao to Mao: 5000 Years of Chinese History.

Ken also focuses on global and comparative history and is interested in urban history and cartography. He has published many articles on a wide range of subjects, including Chinese intellectual and political history and Chinese gardens. He received his Masters and Ph.D. from Harvard University in history and East Asian languages and has been a research scholar at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing and at the International Institute for Asian Studies in Leiden, the Netherlands.