Dr. Ming Dong Gu
- Professor of Literature
- Katherine R. Cecil Professor in Foreign Languages
Dr. and Mrs. Andrew R. Cecil created the professorship in 1995 to promote the study and teaching of foreign languages. Gu was appointed to the position in December 2022.
“Globalization has become a worldwide trend; however, it recently has suffered some setbacks. Mutual understanding and appreciation are of paramount importance for humanity to live in peace and harmony.”
Dr. Ming Dong Gu considers himself an intellectual engineer engaged in building a bridge between Eastern and Western literature and thought.
As he studies literature not only from the Chinese tradition, but also from the Western tradition, Gu looks for common ground of thought – how these traditions are similar and different. By looking at various writings and the philosophies behind them, Gu hopes to enhance cultural exchanges between the East and the West so that participants can better understand and appreciate each other.
In addition to his academic appointment, Gu is an associate director of the Center for Asian Studies in the Harry W. Bass Jr. School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology at UT Dallas.
He has written and edited 11 books, five of which are English monographs. Fusion of Critical Horizons in Chinese and Western Language, Poetics, Aesthetics (2021) best represents his efforts to bridge the gap between East and West, he said.
In addition, he has written more than 70 articles and essays in English and nearly 120 in Chinese. His most recent book, The Nature and Rationale of Zen/Chan and Enlightenment (2023), offers a new view of Zen Buddhism.
Gu said the goal of his work in comparative literature and thought is to build mutual understanding and appreciation between countries and regions.
He joined the UTD faculty in 2007 as an associate professor of Chinese and comparative literature after working for several years as associate professor of modern languages and literature at Rhodes College in Tennessee. He was promoted to professor at UTD in 2009.
Gu earned his PhD in Chinese and comparative literature from The University of Chicago in 1999. He also earned a Master of Arts in Chinese literature from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1996 and a Master of Arts in English literature from the University of Kent, Canterbury in 1987.