1. The Career Effects of Exceptional Promotion: Evidence from the Qing Local Civil Official System (1830–1910) • Yueran Hou, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology; Cameron Campbell, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

2. Place-Making and the Patrimonial Public of the Qing Empire in Urban North China • Daniel Knorr, Illinois State University.

3. Roles and Challenges of Legal Officials During King Chongjo’s Reign • Ha-kyoung Lee, Academy of Korean Studies.

4. Centralized Power, Decentralized Ambitions: The Reconfiguration of Local Power during the transition from Goryeo to Joseon Korea • Hyunju Lee, Ajou University; Won-tak Joo, University of Florida; Joseph Dennis, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Sangkuk Lee, Ajou University.

5. The Origins of Representative Institutions in China • Qixuan Yang, Yale University.