UVA Grad Abigail Barr to Study Mao’s History at Yenching Academy

Aspiring Historian Abigail Barr to Explore Mao Zedong’s Legacy at Yenching Academy

Abigail Barr, a University of Virginia alumna, is set to delve into the historical impact of Mao Zedong at the renowned Yenching Academy of Peking University. Her academic journey will bring her back to familiar grounds, as she previously studied at this prestigious institution in 2025.

Hailing from Plattville, Alabama, Barr graduated from UVA with a distinguished major in history, a second major in philosophy, and a minor in Chinese language and literature. This fall, she will embark on a master’s program in history at Yenching Academy.

The experience of studying in China is not new to Barr. Reflecting on her previous time at Peking University, she remarked, “I greatly enjoyed my time studying abroad at Peking University, and it feels like a dream come true to be returning there in the fall.” She added, “I consider myself very fortunate to have been offered such a rare opportunity, and I intend to make the most of it, both professionally and personally.”

Barr’s undergraduate thesis at UVA examined the intricate dynamics of revolutionary rhetoric, rituals, and practices in 20th-century China, focusing on the spread and reception of Mao Zedong’s ideologies at the grassroots level.

At Yenching Academy, Barr plans to pursue an interdisciplinary approach by integrating history, philosophy, and cultural studies. Her goal is to understand the evolution of Maoism into a distinct form of political religion between 1942 and 1968.

Barr’s application to the Yenching Academy was facilitated through a nomination process managed by UVA’s Office of Citizen Scholar Development. She will be the third UVA scholar to join the academy, joining a cohort of 124 international scholars in September.

The Yenching Academy, established in 2014, offers a unique English-taught master’s program designed to enhance the academic study of China. It provides full fellowships to its scholars, enabling them to explore a wide range of interdisciplinary courses within the broadly defined humanities and social sciences.

Barr’s achievements have been recognized by her professors at UVA. Ran Zhao, professor of Chinese and director of the Chinese language program, praised her dedication, stating, “Abigail studied with impressive motivation and work ethic. She consistently went above and beyond with each assignment, doing more than required and producing top-notch work.” Zhao further added that Barr “demonstrated a very mature mindset toward feedback, which contributed to her rapid progress.”