A University of Arkansas a Little Rock associate professor of history is set to present his research, “The Communist Party and Religion in Contemporary China: A Wall of Separation between Temple and State?” Tuesday, April 4.

Dr. Jeff Kyong-McClain’s topic will investigate China and its state’s role in the increase of religious beliefs within the country in recent years.

The presentation, hosted by the Evenings with History series, will begin at 7 p.m. at the Ottenheimer Auditorium in the Historic Arkansas Museum, 200 E. 3rd St., in Little Rock.

McClain began his journey with UA Little Rock in 2009 after earning a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. For three years, he lived in southwestern China, learning of its history and culture. He now teaches several East Asian history courses at UA Little Rock, including Modern China and Modern Korea.

The Evenings with History series is sponsored by the University History Institute.

For more information, contact the Department of History at 501.569.3235 or email Chair Jess Porter at jcporter@ualr.edu.