Dr Samuel Chen’s research deals with the history of urbanism, especially in early West Asia which gave rise to some of the earliest and most prominent, enduring, and influential urban civilisations (e.g., Sumerian, Babylonian, Assyrian) in history. He has so far worked on the origins and evolution of ancient West Asian traditions concerning the rise, collapse, and restoration of early urban civilisations and the constructions of time and history and their social and cultural functions in a wide range of urban societies from different parts of the ancient world. The evolution and transmission history of these traditions intersected closely with the intellectual, cultural, socio-political history; historical consciousness and historiography; political and religious ideologies; and cultural exchanges of early urban societies. Dr Chen received his BA in Philosophy and Religion (Hillsdale College, Michigan) and his AM/MA (Harvard) and DPhil/PhD (Oxford) in Near Eastern/West Asian Languages and Civilisations. Prior to joining the University of Hong Kong, he researched and taught at different branches of the University of Oxford, including the Faculty of Oriental Studies, the School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography, Worcester College, and Wolfson College.