Tien Yi Li

Tien Yi researches the history of technology and information in (early) modern China. Recently, he has produced several article-length studies on information management innovations, including early modern citation systems, typesetting techniques, and publishing-related institutions in the early People's Republic of China.

Before coming to MIT, Tien Yi pursued a BS in Architectural Studies with a focus on architectural history at Northeastern University, and worked briefly as a research assistant at the University of Hong Kong. His earlier work centered China's exchanges with Britain, France, and the US from the late eighteenth through early twentieth centuries. 

Tien Yi's work has been supported by awards from MIT, Yale University, Northeastern University, and the Society of Architectural Historians. His work has appeared in Infra-Structures (Northeastern School of Architecture Student Publication), and he has presented at Northeastern University and Cardiff University.