Publications

Discussing the database

• Pelzer, Thorben. "Introduction of Taiwan-based Engineers to the Chinese Engineers Relational Database (CERD-Taiwan)." AREA Ruhr Working Paper No. 5, 2026.
• "[...] a groundbreaking example of applying modern social sciences methodologies to Chinese history." —Ben Kletzer, Journal of Chinese History, 2025.
• Ren, Bamboo Yunzhu. Professional Education and Employment in China: Health and Engineering, 1905–1952. Diss. Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Hong Kong), 2025.
• Pelzer, Thorben. Chinese Engineers Relational Database (CERD) Design Manual. Leipziger Universitätsverlag, 2020.

Using the database

• Chen, Qing. "Industrial Lessons Abroad. Chinese Engineers in Britain, 1933–1948." Journal of World History 37.2 (2026): 251–287.
• Pelzer, Thorben. "Engineering Societies in China: Spaces of Professionalization and Participation, 1912–1949." East Asian Science, Technology and Society: An International Journal 20.1 (2026): 57–86.
• Pelzer, Thorben. "Engineers on the Move: Elite Geographic Mobility in Republican China." Twentieth-Century China 50.1 (2025): 25–55.
• Pelzer, Thorben. "Technocracy and Technostructure in Nationalist China." Modern China in Flux: Networks, Mobility, and Transformation (2025): 99–134.
• Pelzer, Thorben. Engineering Trouble: US–Chinese Experiences of Professional Discontent, 1905–1945. China Studies Vol. 52. Brill, 2023.
• Yi, Yuan. "Crafted for Mass Production: Imported Spinning Machinery on the Shop Floor, China, 1910s–1920s." Technology and Culture 63.4 (2022): 979–1004.

Raw data download

The raw data is available in a repository under doi 10.5281/zenodo.4075601.

The code for this interface is available on GitHub.

Legacy interface

The legacy online interface, refered to in earlier publications, remains available here. The data is no longer up to date.

Sources

CERD v.1.8

Primary

• Chinese Who's Who (1944): Tseng, H. P., and Jean Lyon, eds. China Handbook 1937–1944: A Comprehensive Survey of Major Developments in China in Seven Years of War. Chongqing: Chinese Ministry of Information, 1944: 555–626.
• Diangong (1947): “Zhōngguó diànjī gōngchéngshī xuéhuì huìyuán lù.” 中國電機工程師學會會員錄 Diàngōng 16, no. 1 (1947): 85–91.
• Dongli gongcheng (1947): “Zhōngguó dònglì gōngchéng xuéhuì huìyuán diàochá biǎo.” 中國動力工程學會會員調查表 Dònglì gōngchéng jìkān 1, 1, 4 (1947): 100, 196.
• Gongchengren minglu (1941): Zīyuán wěiyuánhuì, 資源委員會. Zhōngguó gōngchéngrén mínglù. 中國工程人名錄. Changsha: Shāngwù yìnshūguǎn, 1941.
• Gongcheng xuebao (1925): “Directory of Nanyang Alumni Association in America.” Gōngchéng xuébào 1, no. 1 (1925): 130–34.
• Gongcheng xuehui huibao (1919): “Zhōngguó gōngchéng xuéhuì huìyuán lù.” 中國工程學會會員錄 Zhōngguó gōngchéng xuéhuì huìbào 1 (1919): 49–65.
• Guoli Zhongyang daxue fuxiao (1945): Guólì Zhōngyāng dàxué fùxiào dì èr jiè bìyè jìniàn kān. 國立中央大學復校第二屆畢業紀念刊. Nanjing: Nanjing Central University, 1945.
• Jiaotong (1922): Jiāotōng dàxué 交通大學, ed. Jiāotōng dàxué bìyè jìniàn cè. 交通大學畢業紀念冊. Shanghai: s. n., 1922.
• Journal of the ACAE (1927): “List of Members.” The Oriental Engineer 8, no.2 (1927): 31–44.
• Journal of the ACAE (1938): “List of Members.” Journal of the Association of Chinese & American Engineers 19, no.2 (1938): 95–102.
• Kuangye gongcheng xuehui huiyuan lu (1943): Zhōngguó kuàngyě gōngchéng xuéhuì, 中國礦冶工程學會, ed. Huìyuán lù. 會員錄. Chongqing: Zhōngguó kuàngyě gōngchéng xuéhuì, 1943.
• Nanjing zhongyang daxue xiaoyou tongxun (1989): Zhōngyāng dàxué xiàoyǒu huì Nánjīng (1940–1945) xiàoyǒu liánluò chù. Nánjīng zhōngyāng dàxué (1940–1945) xiàoyǒu tōngxùn. 南京中央大學（1940–1945）校友通訊. Nanjing: s. n., 1989.
• Qinghua daxue tumu gongcheng xuehui huikan (1944): “Huìyuán lù.” 會員錄 Guólì Qīnghuá dàxué tǔmù gōngchéng xuéhuì 6 (1944): 79–95.
• Qinghua daxue tumu gongcheng xuehui huikan (1949): “Huìyuán lù.” 會員錄 Guólì Qīnghuá dàxué tǔmù gōngchéng xuéhuì 7 (1949): 11–14.
• Shuili (1933): “Zhōngguó shuǐlì gōngchéng xuéhuì huìyuán lù.” 中國水利工程學會會員錄 Shuǐlì 5, no. 4 (1933): 49–53.
• The Chinese Students Directory (1931): Koo, Eugene Chen, ed. Chinese Students Directory for the Past Fifty Years. Cambridge: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1931.
• Tumu gongcheng (1935): “Běn huì lìjiè bìyè huìyuán yīlǎn.” 本會歷届畢業會員一覽 Tǔmù gōngchéng 3, no. 1 (1935): 197–201.
• Who's Who in China (1936): The China Weekly Review. Who's Who in China. Biographies of Chinese Leaders. 5th ed. Shanghai: The China Weekly Review, 1936.
• Zhongguo gongchengshi xuehui Wuhan fenhui (1933): Zhōngguó gōngchéngshī xuéhuì wǔhàn fēnhuì 中國工程師學會武漢分會, ed. Zhōngguó gōngchéngshī xuéhuì Wǔhàn fēnhuì huìyuán lù 中國工程師學會武漢分會會員錄. Wuhuan: s. n., 1933.
• Zhongguo ranhua jinian kan (1940): “Huìyuán lù.” 會員錄 Zhōngguó rǎnhuà gōngchéng xuéhuì chénglì jìniàn kān 2 (1940): 115–124.
• Zhonghua gongchengshi xuehui huiyuan lu (1924): Zhōnghuá gōngchéngshī xuéhuì 中華工程師學會, ed. Zhōnghuá gōngchéngshī xuéhuì huìyuán lù. 中華工程師學會會員錄. S. l.: Zhōnghuá gōngchéngshī xuéhuì, 1924.

Supplements

• Freeman Papers at MIT (1916–1932): Papers of John Ripley Freeman. MC.0051. MIT Libraries Distinctive Collections.
• Jiaoda jikan (1930): Waddell, John Alexander Low. “In Memoria[m]. K. Y. Kwong.” Jiāodà jìkān no. 3 (1930): 79–83.
• Journal of the ACAE (1924): “Yang Pao-ling.” Journal of the Association of Chinese & American Engineers 5, no.4 (1924): i–ii.
• Journal of the ACAE (1928): “The New President.” Journal of the Association of Chinese & American Engineers 9, no.1 (1928): i.
• Ling Hongxun Papers (1962): Líng, Hóngxūn 淩鴻勛. Hung-Hsun Ling Papers, Duì rì kàngzhàn bā nián jiāotōng dàshìjì chūgǎo. 對日抗戰八年交通大事記初稿. 1962, MS#0786. Columbia University Archival Collections.
• Oliver Julian Todd Papers (1899–1973): O. J. (Oliver Julian) Todd papers. 73087. Hoover Institution Archives.

CERD-Taiwan v.1.0

• CIE 1947: “Zhōngguó gōngchéngshī xuéhuì táiwān fēnhuì huìyuán lù.” 中國工程師學會臺灣分會會員錄 Táiwān gōngchéng jiè 1, no. 1 (1947): 21–24.
• CIE 1953: Zhōngguó gōngchéngshī xuéhuì 中國工程師學會, ed. Zhōngguó gōngchéngshī xuéhuì huìyuán lù 中國工程師學會會員錄. Taipei: s.n., 1953.
• CIE 1958: Zhōngguó gōngchéngshī xuéhuì 中國工程師學會, ed. Zhōngguó gōngchéngshī xuéhuì yīlǎn 中國工程師學會一覽. S.l.: s.n., 1958.
• CIE 1974: Zhōngguó gōngchéngshī xuéhuì 中國工程師學會, ed. Zhōngguó gōngchéngshī xuéhuì huìyuán lù 中國工程師學會會員錄. Taipei: s.n., 1974.
• Taiwan Chemical Engineers 1954: Zhōngguó huàxué gōngchéng xuéhuì 中國化學工程學會, ed.Huàxué gōngchéng xuéhuì huìyuán lù 化學工程學會會員錄. S.l.: s.n., 1954.
• Taiwan Mechanical Engineers 1964: Zhōngguó jīxiè gōngchéng xuéhuì 中國機械工程學會, ed. Zhōngguó jīxiè gōngchéng xuéhuì huìyuán lù 中國機械工程學會會員錄. Taipei: s.n., 1964.

Project lead (Concept, code, oversight)

• Thorben Pelzer (Hong Kong University of Science and Technology)

Research funding

• “Chinese Engineers and their Spatial Imaginations”
  Grant SFB-1199-A6 awarded by DFG (2020–2024)
  Principal investigator: Elisabeth Kaske
  Postdoctoral researcher: Thorben Pelzer
• “The Pioneers of China’s Rise to Technological Power”
  Grant 01UL1909X awarded by BMFTR (2019–2022)
  Principal investigator: Hailian Chen

Student assistants

• Tsz-kit Gus Chan
• Chun Yeung Chung
• Oliver Dieckmann
• Ariane Kolden
• Chin Fung Ng
• Felix Opper
• Christian Staudte
• Mirjam Stretz
• Mo Wang

Special thanks

• Christian Henriot (online basemap)
• Jonathan Henshaw (data provision)
• Ian Johnson (original data input realised with Heurist)
• Elisabeth Köll (data provision)
• André Ourednik (online basemap under GPL-3.0)

Project contact

• Thorben Pelzer
  Assistant Professor
  3351 Academic Building, HKUST
  Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong
  Tel.: +852 2358-8908

Citation

• Pelzer, Thorben, et al., eds. (2022). “Chinese Engineers Relational Database (CERD).” Geneva, Budapest: Zenodo. http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4075601.
• Data available under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence: Citation required.
• BibTeX file available here.