Interview with Teemu Ruskola
"I grew up in Finland during the Cold War and I came to Stanford as an undergraduate in the mid-80s, before the current era of globalization. I received my B.A. in East Asian Studies in 1990. I can say without hesitation that my undergraduate years and my study of East Asia in general, and China in particular, constituted the single most formative intellectual experience of my life—even more so than my subsequent graduate studies. I returned to Stanford again in the late 90s to do an M.A. in East Asian Studies. Initially, I had no idea what I wanted to do when I was at Stanford. First, I contemplated a Ph.D in Chinese philosophy. Then, I decided against it and ended up going to law school for all the wrong reasons—like so many liberal arts graduates who are unsure what to do. Luckily, I realized subsequently that the study of Chinese law is a fascinating scholarly pursuit, and I ended up becoming a law professor."
- Teemu Ruskola, B.A. in East Asian Studies '90 & M.A. in East Asian Studies '99
Professor of Law and Professor of East Asian Languages & Civilizations at the University of Pennsylvania
Honors thesis topic: Thesis on comparative philosophy, titled “Existential Responsibility: A Comparative Analysis of Mauvaise Foi in Sartre and Ch’eng in Wang Yang-ming.”
Current Position: Professor of Law and Professor of East Asian Languages and Civilizations, and faculty member in the Program in Comparative Literature and Theory and in the Program in Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies, University of Pennsylvania
Can you share some background about your time at Stanford/EALC Department and how it influenced you?
I grew up in Finland during the Cold War and I came to Stanford as an undergraduate in the mid-80s, before the current era of globalization. I received my B.A. in East Asian Studies in 1990. I can say without hesitation that my undergraduate years and my study of East Asia in general, and China in particular, constituted the single most formative intellectual experience of my life—even more so than my subsequent graduate studies. Harold Kahn, who mentored several generations of students, was an amazing presence among many others. After living in Taiwan for a few years and studying Chinese at the Inter-University Program, which was still located in Taipei and administered by Stanford, I came back to the U.S. I completed a law degree at Yale in 1995 and practiced law for a short period of time in New York and Hong Kong thereafter. I returned to Stanford again in the late 90s to do an M.A. in East Asian Studies.
What is your current position/field?
I am an interdisciplinary legal scholar. My work addresses historical and theoretical questions from multiple perspectives, comparative as well as international, usually with China as a vantage point.
How did you end up pursuing your career?
Initially, I had no idea what I wanted to do when I was at Stanford. First, I contemplated a Ph. D in Chinese philosophy, then decided against it and ended up going to law school for all the wrong reasons—like so many liberal arts graduates who are unsure what to do. Luckily, I realized subsequently that the study of Chinese law is a fascinating scholarly pursuit, and I ended up becoming a law professor. However, my interests have always been interdisciplinary and leaning heavily toward the humanities, so I consider myself especially lucky being able to teach both in a law school and in an East Asian languages and literatures department.