Tram Thi Phuong Nguyen
Research Interest
Cultural Anthropology, Intangible Cultural Heritage, Inner Asian, Northeast & Southeast Asian Folklore, Linguistics
Dr. Tram Thi Phuong Nguyen is a digital curator for Vietnamese Studies at the Weatherhead East Asian Institute, Columbia University. Tram has a BA in Chinese language and literature and an MA and Ph.D. in Ethnology.
Tram has a colorful background rich in international scholarship. Between 2009 and 2010, Tram conducted several field expeditions to the central region of Vietnam (Quang Nam Province) to conduct ethnographic research regarding the symbolic meaning of the areca nut chewing custom found amongst many ethnic groups in Vietnam. Between 2011 and 2017, Tram worked collaboratively with the local ethnic elites and activists in the Republic of Altai and the Republic of Tuva (Southern Siberia, Russia) as well as those in the Pamir-Badakhshan region of Tajikistan regarding local ethnic cultural development to ethnographically document their revival activism efforts focusing on the use of local knowledge. Over the same period, Tram participated in many other research initiatives and expeditions focusing on many Mongol-Turkic locales at the crossroads of Russia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, northwest China, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan. From 2017 to 2022, Tram worked on the Language and Culture Project directed by the Faculty of Southeast Asia at Peking University in Beijing, teaching modern Vietnamese language and culture courses. Through this, she also promoted integrated experiential learning of cultural and musical heritage.
Tram currently works as a digital curator for the Digitizing Vietnam Project at the Weatherhead East Asian Institute. Her Digitizing Vietnam team is developing a Digital Hub under the Digitizing Vietnam Initiative Project (a joint project by Columbia and Fulbright University Vietnam - FUV). This Digital Hub will make available an extensive archive of digitized pre-modern Han-Nom manuscript collections and provide a comprehensive catalog for archival and library collections of the Vietnamese modern era, including other content mediums such as musical recordings, videography, and art collections and a digital museum.
Publications
1. Migration Strategies and Human-Made Disasters: Considering Tajik Migration Policy Initiatives in Tashkorgan from the Perspective of Disaster Anthropology, Nguyen Thi Phuong Tram, Comparative Southeast European Studies Volume 71 (Issue 1), Pages 74-95, 2023
2. 自下而上与博弈机制：非物质文化遗产的可持续性——越南和俄罗斯非遗保护实践为例[The Bottom-Up Model and the Fair-play Mechanism: The Sustainability of the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage - Taking Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection in Vietnam and Russia as an Example], Post-doctoral Dissertation, Nguyen Thi Phuong Tram, Minzu University of China, 2021
3. What is a Homeland? Lessons from the Post-Disaster Construction Process in Tashkorgan, Nguyen Thi Phuong Tram, International Hybrid Conference, 2021
4. Altai Kai – Voice of Spirituality amongst the Ataians in Southern Siberia, Nguyen Thi Phuong Tram, Ubsunur International Symposium, Pages 369-373
5. 2020 人类学家的“应许之地”——西伯利亚南部的阿尔泰共和国 [The “Promise Land” of Anthropologists – The Altai Republic in Southern Siberia], Nguyen Thi Phuong Tram, Journal of Qinghai Nationalities University Volume 4, Pages 19-25, 2019
6. 作为历史的民族形成进程——以俄罗斯西伯利亚族群演进过程为例 [Ethnogenesis as
History: Taking Siberian Ethnicity Evolution As a Case Study], Nguyen Thi Phuong Tram, Journal of Qinghai Nationalities University Volume 1, Pages 13-17, 2019
7. 塔吉克斯坦帕米尔地区灾后重建和发展经历启示 [Reflections from the Post-disaster Construction Process in the Pamir Mountains of Tajikistan], Nguyen Thi Phuong Tram, Northeast Asia Cultural Review 6, Pages 89-104, 2018
8. 何为发展？——中国帕米尔地区现代化进程的反思 [What is development? ——Reflections on the Modernization Process of Pamir Region in China], Nguyen Thi Phuong Tram, Northeast Asia Cultural Review 5, 2016
9. The Areca Nut As a Gift and Object of Sacrifice, Nguyen Thi Phuong Tram, Bulgarian Ethnology 3 (Gift, Offering, Donation), Pages 443-457, 2016
10. 对团队旅游开发在中国阿尔泰地区的反思[The Reflection of Mass Tourism Exploitation in Chinese Altai Region], Nguyen Thi Phuong Tram, Northeast Asia Cultural Review 3, Pages 205-215, 2014
11. 边疆民族文化记忆的诉求——亚洲内陆民族文化的发展经历启示[Appeal for Ethnic Culture Memories – Lessons from Experiences of Ethnic Culture Development in Inner Asia], Nguyen Thi Phuong Tram, Minzu University of China Doctoral Dissertation Collection, 2014
12. 读《人类史》["Human History" Book Review], Nguyen Thi Phuong Tram, China Ethnic Forum, 2013
13. 越南占族穆斯林[Vietnamese Champa Muslims], Nguyen Thi Phuong Tram, Consensus 9, 2013
14. 俄罗斯学者祖柯夫斯卡娅教授访谈录 [Interview with Russian scholar Professor Zukovskaya], Nguyen Thi Phuong Tram, M Mikhalev, World Ethnic, 2013.
15. 阿尔泰生态观 [Altaian Ecological View], Nguyen Thi Phuong Tram, M Mikhalev, Consensus 2, 2012
16. 欧亚大陆的十字路口 [The Crossroad of Eurasia], Nguyen Thi Phuong Tram, M Mikhalev, Consensus 1, 2012
17. 越南槟榔食俗及其意义阐释 [Customs and Meaning of the Vietnamese Betel Nut], Nguyen Thi Phuong Tram, Minzu University of China Graduate Dissertation Collection, 2010
18. 汉语言文字在越南的传播 [The diffusion of Chinese spoken and written language in Vietnam], Nguyen Thi Phuong Tram, China Ethnic News 5, 2008
19. Những con đường tiếng Hán đi vào tiếng Việt [How has Chinese language entered the Vietnamese Language World], Nguyen Thi Phuong Tram, Linguistics and Life 5, 34-37, 2006