Tianyang Zhou

I am a Lecturer in Media Studies at the School of Humanities, University of Hertfordshire. I previously taught at the University of Sussex and the University of Brighton before joining the University of Hertfordshire and the Media Group in 2020. I trained as a communicator and technician scientist at the undergraduate level, before studying for a masters degree in Globalisation and Communications at the University of Leicester, and a PhD in Media and Cultural Studies at the University of Sussex. I am interested in digital cultures and communications in a transnational context, including but not limited to media and technology in everyday life, queer digital cultures and activism, critical big data and algorithm studies, Chinese media and politics, as well as feminist media studies. My current book project uses the lenses of cultural studies, feminist and queer theory to investigate how Chinese gay men engage with media technologies, texts, and practices in their everyday life. More recently, I have begun exploring the gender and cultural politics of algorithms and big data. I am the president of UK-China Media and Cultural Studies Association (UCMeCSA). I previously chaired the MeCCSA Postgraduate Network (2017-2019).

I am currently working on two international research projects: 

1) Co-chairing the Short-Video Apps Research Initiative (SVARI) with Dr Shuaishuai Wang (Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University) and Dr Lianrui Jia (University of Sheffield). This project engages with the theoretical, methodological, and empirical challenges of studying different kinds of short-video apps (such as Douyin/TikTok, Kuaishou, and Instagram) and their environments, cultures and politics; 2) Co-Investigating "Countering violent extremism in a digitised China" with Dr Chi Zhang (University of St Andrews). This project seeks to address the spread of extremist ideologies in an increasingly digitised China, aiming to bring together critical insights from academic researchers, media and digital industry professionals, as well as government organisations and policy makers to examine the relationships between violent extremism and mainstream and digital media in China.  

I welcome PhD proposals in the areas of digital cultures and communications, cultural and critical media studies and the study of Chinese media, culture and society. I specifically welcome applicants with good qualitative and digital research skills. I am particularly interested in and currently available for PhD supervision in the following areas:

1) Youth culture and TikTok/Douyin

2) The role of social media (e.g. Instagram, WeChat, Twitter, YouTube, etc) in everyday life

3) The cultural politics of big data, algorithms and platforms

4) Gender, sexuality and media cultures

5) Transnational media fandom (especially slash fandom)

6) International and intercultural communication

If you are considering a PhD in one of the above areas, please feel free to send an email to t.zhou2@herts.ac.uk. 

My key academic interests include:

• Cultural and Critical Media Studies
• Digital Culture Studies
• Queer Theory and LGBT Studies
• Critical Data and Algorithms Studies
• Celebrity Studies
• Female Media Fandom and Slash Fan Cultures
• Chinese Media Studies
• Qualitative Research Methods
• Digital and Algorithmic Ethnography
• Sociology of Story and Narrative Power

My teaching specialisms include:

• Research Methods in Media and Communication Studies
• Global Media and Society
• Digital Media
• Celebrity Media Cultures
• Advertising and Social Change