, ▁Department ▁of ▁History , ▁Duke ▁University , ▁after ▁being ▁the ▁R aff les ▁Professor ▁of ▁Human ities ▁at ▁the ▁National ▁University ▁of ▁Singapore ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁also ▁Director ▁of ▁Asian ▁Research ▁Institute ▁and ▁Director ▁of ▁Research ▁in ▁Human ities ▁and ▁Social ▁Sciences . ▁Du ara ▁also ▁taught ▁at ▁George ▁Mason ▁University ▁and ▁the ▁Department ▁of ▁History ▁in ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Chicago , ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁chairman ▁of ▁the ▁department ▁from ▁ 2 0 0 4 – 2 0 0 7 . ▁ ▁Du ara ▁obtained ▁his ▁Ph . D . ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 3 ▁from ▁Harvard ▁University , ▁where ▁he ▁studied ▁with ▁Philip ▁Ku hn . ▁His ▁doctor al ▁th esis ▁was ▁" Power ▁in ▁R ural ▁Society : ▁North ▁China ▁Vill ages , ▁ 1 9 0 0 – 1 9 4 0 ." ▁ ▁His ▁first ▁book , ▁Culture , ▁Power ▁and ▁the ▁State : ▁R ural ▁Society ▁in ▁North ▁China , ▁ 1 9 0 0 -- 1 9 4 2 ▁( St an ford ▁Un iv ▁Press , ▁ 1 9 8 8 ) ▁won ▁the ▁John ▁King ▁Fair bank ▁book ▁prize ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁Historical ▁Association ▁ 1 9 8 9 ) ▁and ▁the ▁Joseph ▁Le vens on ▁prize ▁for ▁the ▁Association ▁for ▁Asian ▁Studies ▁( 1 9 9 0 ). ▁▁ ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁Chinese ▁history , ▁he ▁works ▁more ▁broad ly ▁on ▁Asia ▁in ▁the ▁tw enti eth ▁century , ▁and ▁on ▁historical ▁thought ▁and ▁histor i ography . ▁While ▁his ▁early ▁work