China Studies PhD Programme Celebrates a Landmark Year of Scholarly Excellence

The Department of China Studies is announcing an exceptionally productive year for its prestigious PhD programme, highlighting a cohort of graduates who are making significant contributions to global academic discourse on China.

The PhD in China Studies, a strategic research and educational collaboration between XJTLU and the University of Liverpool, is designed to cultivate engaged scholars in the humanities and social sciences with a deep, critical focus on China. The programme’s interdisciplinary approach spans history, literature, sociology, anthropology, geography, politics, and international relations.

The 2025 academic year has been a testament to the programme’s success, marked by the graduation of 6 new doctoral scholars. Their PhD projects examine the evolving dynamics of identity, power, and social change in China, spanning from historical cultural analysis to contemporary studies of urban transition, rural politics, and speculative fiction. Their achievements extend far beyond their degrees, encompassing high-impact publications, prestigious awards, and promising career placements.

01. Publishing Impact on the Global Stage

Our doctoral candidates and graduates have demonstrated remarkable research output, publishing in top-tier international journals.

Notable works include:

Dr Danxue Zhou, a 2025 graduate, authored and co-authored a prolific series of articles. Her work, appearing in SSCI-indexed journals like Asian Studies Review and CSSCI-ranked publications such as Wenxue Yanjiu, interrogates themes of urbanisation, social class, and gender in contemporary Chinese science fiction.

Dr Yue Zhou, a 2025 graduate, has explored narrative trends in Chinese climate fiction, contributing to the growing field of environmental humanities by publishing on AHCI-indexed journal Extrapolation and Chinese Literature and Thought Today.

Yu Chaofan, a 2026 graduate, published two groundbreaking research articles in SSCI-indexed Third World Quarterly, analyzing US-China competition in Ethiopian industrial parks as a form of modern economic statecraft, as well we modes of state-led globalization.

02.Accolades and Fellowships Herald Promising Careers

The academic excellence of our graduates has been recognized through several competitive fellowships and awards:

Dr Yue Zhou was selected for the prestigious Freiburg Rising Stars Academy (FRSA) 2025/26 fellowship in Germany and also received XJTLU’s HSS PhD Research Excellence Award in 2025. She has further been awarded a “Yangfan (Set Sail) Talents Program” fellowship by the Chinese National Research Center of Science Fiction.

Dr Danxue Zhou, who received XJTLU’s HSS PhD Research Excellence Award in 2024, has secured the “Qihang (Embarking) Scholars Fellowship” from the same national centre, supporting her continued research in science fiction studies.

In December, 2025, The school hosted a valuable experience-sharing session, welcoming back two distinguished alumni from its China Studies PhD programme. The event provided current doctoral candidates with first-hand insights into navigating the competitive landscapes of academic job markets and high-stakes publishing. The returning scholars, Dr Xin Xu (a 2023 graduate) and Dr Danxue Zhou (a 2025 graduate), shared their distinct post-graduation pathways, offering a practical suggestions.

Dr Xin Xu, who recently completed a prestigious postdoctoral fellowship at Zhejiang University, provided crucial advice on securing and maximizing post-doc positions. She detailed how such roles serve as a critical bridge between doctoral study and a Faculty position, offering time to deepen research portfolios and expand professional networks.

Dr Danxue Zhou, now a lecturer at Suzhou City University, shifted the focus to the transition into a full-time faculty role. She shared strategic insights on the academic job application process, from crafting compelling application materials to preparing for interviews and teaching demonstrations. A significant portion of her discussion centred on the continuous importance of publication, drawing from her own prolific record of placing research in top-tier journals.

03. A Model for Collaborative and Interdisciplinary Research

Dr Shiyang Chen, who got her PhD degree in 2025, commented on her BA and PhD education received at XJTLU: “Having completed my BA at XJTLU, my alma mater has provided me with systematic training to carry out my PhD project using both quantitative and qualitative methods, enabling my project to contribute to both empirical and theoretical fields. Equipped with rich and diversified facilities and resources, XJTLU's physical and learning environments have always been open, convivial and fair, making it attractive to both domestic and international scholars seeking academic excellence and integrity. I consider my PhD experience here to be unique, given the expertise of the academic staff in my department and the strong scholarly atmosphere in general. The various scholarly activities, in which students participated as both attendees and organisers, have created valuable opportunities for intensive intellectual exchange and the generation of sparkling insights for our research projects. Overall, I think the PhD journey here successfully combined the advantages of being based in China with management under the UK higher education system, an arrangement especially beneficial for those of us working in the field of China Studies.”

In her PhD dissertation, Chaofan Yu expressed her gratitude for the substantial support provided by her principal supervisor, Dr. Dragan Pavlicevic. Dr. Danxue Zhou and Dr. Yue Zhou noted that the PhD writing and publication workshop led by Dr. Leif Johnson was highly beneficial for their journal article development. For Dr. Xin Xu, her principal supervisor, Dr. Geoffrey C. Chen, is “more like an academic peer and friend.” They recently co-authored and published an article on government supervision and control mechanisms in China’s carbon market in The China Quarterly, a top-tier journal in China Studies. Dr. Xi Liu, the principal supervisor of Danxue Zhou and Yue Zhou, as well as the recipient of the “HSS Research Supervision Award” in 2025, also provides ongoing support to PhD graduates in China Studies and maintains close ties with them as part of a supportive academic community.

Chaofan Yu and Dr Dragan Pavlicevic met with the former Minister of Trade and Industry of Ethiopia

Yue Zhou gave a presentation at the East Asian Anthropological Annual Meeting at Zhejiang University, 2025

“The department is incredibly proud of our PhD students. They are not only contributing to the department’s vibrant research culture, but are making real contributions to global academia,” said the Head of Department, Dr. Emily Williams. The achievements of our 2025 PhD cohort underscore the strength of our collaborative, interdisciplinary model, which results in considerable success for both faculty and students.

The Department of China Studies at XJTLU continues to recruit outstanding doctoral candidates for its innovative programme, building on this year’s momentum to further contribute to scholarly and public understanding of China.

Contributed by Dr Xi Liu, Department of China Studies