Daniel Fung Jr.

Daniel Fung Jr.

Research Interest

Daniel graduated with Honors from UC Berkeley with a BA in History. During his undergraduate career, Daniel developed a strong interest in Russian history particularly with the late Tsarist and Soviet Period. Towards the end of his time at Berkeley, he studied abroad in the Russian city of St. Petersburg for six months where he immersed himself in the local language and culture. During this time he joined several clubs and volunteer organizations at the universities of St. Petersburg State University and the Higher School of Economics. It was then that he realized just how diverse the peoples of Russia are and how little is known of minority culture and achievements in the national narrative. 

For his undergraduate thesis, Daniel did research on immigration to Imperial St. Petersburg up until the Russian Revolution with a focus on the ethnic Tatar minority. Through this research, his academic interests expanded and he now has a strong desire to bring to light the history of minorities in the region and their impacts on the nations they inhabit. 

As a masters candidate at Columbia, Daniel hopes to expand his research of minorities into Eastern and Central Europe, and to challenge the present national narratives that have thus far ignored these invisible yet vibrant communities.