Commemorative Symposium Honors the Life and Work of Pardee Professor Joseph Fewsmith
On April 6, 2026, the Pardee School of Global Studies held the Joseph Fewsmith Commemorative Symposium at the Duan Family Center honoring the legacy of Dr. Joseph Fewsmith, former professor of international relations and political science at Boston University, and a renowned scholar in China studies. Fewsmith’s wife Irene Kiedrowski and their son Andrew Fewsmith were in attendance alongside several of his colleagues and students.
The afternoon kicked off with a panel discussion, China Today, China Tomorrow, moderated by Professor Min Ye, featuring panelists Thomas Christensen of Columbia University; Andrew Mertha of Johns Hopkins University; Elizabeth Perry of Harvard University; and Taiyi Sun of Christopher Newport University. Describing Fewsmith as a wonderful friend, mentor, and human, the panelists emphasized the indelible impact of his scholarship on the field, his astute observations and predictions about Chinese politics, and his prolific authorship. They also fondly reminisced about Fewsmith’s proclivity to be supportive, humble, empathetic, empowering, patient, and humorous — qualities that made him an extraordinary, respected, and unforgettable figure in academia. Sun, who was a former student of Fewsmith’s, also unveiled a memorial booklet, featuring tributes from the professor’s colleagues and students.
After the panel concluded, Pardee colleagues, peers from the China studies field, and students gathered to pay their tributes to the late professor. Scott Taylor, Dean of the Pardee School shared opening remarks, highlighting Fewsmith’s broad and multigenerational impact, his devotion to his scholarship, and his distinctive sense of humor.
“Even approaching retirement, Joe’s scholarly productivity was at a level that would make a junior scholar blush,” said Dean Taylor. “Given his insatiable appetite for writing and research and his ambitious plans to continue, I asked him ‘Joe what would be different about retirement?’ And he said, with that characteristic twinkle in his eye ‘I don’t think it would be very different except for the fact I don’t have to attend any of your meetings.’ And despite his barely veiled critique of my time-consuming and sometimes less than scintillating meetings, Joe was nothing other than completely engaged and the most generous contributor in my time as dean at Pardee. I’m grateful for his collegiality, his mentorship, and his support of the entire school and me as dean.”
At the event, Dean Taylor also announced the launch of the Joe Fewsmith Fund for emerging scholars in the field.
“Another way we would like to salute Joe and honor his legacy and memory is by launching a fund in his honor. Today I’m pleased to announce that the Pardee School is inaugurating the Joe Fewsmith Fund for Research in China and Chinese Studies,” said Dean Taylor. “This fund will support the next generation of students, aspiring scholars, and practitioners as they seek to advance their understanding of the region and the issues to which he dedicated his personal and professional life.”
I’m grateful for his collegiality, his mentorship, and his support of the entire school and me as dean.” – Dean Taylor
Bill Grimes, professor of international relations; Kevin Gallagher, professor of global policy development, Kelly Tsai, dean of the College of Social Sciences and Humanities, Northeastern University; Nancy Hearst, librarian at the Fairbank Center; and Clyde Wang, assistant professor of politics at Washington and Lee University, also took to the stage to share their fond memories with Fewsmith.
The remembrance was followed by the Memorial Lecture — Between Confrontation and Competition: Reflections on the Future of China, US-China Relations and the Taiwan Issue by Dr. Evan Medeiros, the Penner Family Chair in Asia Studies in the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. Moderated by Thomas Berger, professor of international relations, during the keynote address, Medeiros spoke about Fewsmith’s enduring legacy as a teacher, intellectual, and author. Elaborating on the snowballing tensions between the States and China, Medeiros touched upon four primary lessons that he drew from Fewsmith’s work, persuading the current and future generation of China experts to think curiously and differently about current geopolitical challenges.
The event concluded with a rousing Q&A session with Dr. Medeiros, where he eloquently answered several pertinent questions from the audience about competition between the two superpowers, American policymaking with regards to China, and diplomatic agendas the current administration should have for China in current times.
The recording of the event can be watched here.
ABOUT JOSEPH FEWSMITH
Joseph Fewsmith (1949-2025) was the Professor Emeritus of International Relations and Political Science at Boston University, where he taught for 34 years. An integral architect of Pardee School of Global Studies’ China studies major, he was an influential figure in East Asia intellectual circles across the country. He served on multiple research committees and was a center associate of the John King Fairbank Center for China Studies at Harvard University and an associate of the Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future at Boston University. A prolific writer, Fewsmith published ten books on China, including the latest Forging Leninism in China: Mao and the Remaking of the Chinese Communist Party, 1927-1934 (Cambridge University Press, 2022) and Rethinking Chinese Politics (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2021).