Personal statement

Dr. Siqi Zhang received her PhD degree in Sociology from the University of Edinburgh in 2019. Her PhD research explores the ways in which gender and cultural capital are closely linked with international students’ transnational educational choices and their transnational study experiences during their stay in a Scottish university. Her research interests include gender, education policy, cultural capital, international student mobility and transnational higher education. Before coming to University of Strathclyde, she worked in Msc Education and Msc Comparative Education and International Development at Moray House School of Education and Sport at the University of Edinburgh after completing her PhD in Sociology at the University of Edinburgh. 

Siqi has conducted projects in contexts include China, the UK (including Scotland, England and Wales), and the Asia-Pacific in collaboration with international researchers. Siqi’s research has been funded by The National Social Science Fund of China, China Scholarship Council of Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Scottish Funding Council, University of Edinburgh.

Qualifications

PhD in Sociology, University of Edinburgh

Msc in Sociology, London School of Economics and Political Science

Teaching

Siqi teaches core modules and optional modules in Msc Education and BA Education. These include:

Postgraduate Module:

Globalisation, Society and Education Policy (Module Leader) 

Education and Self-Formation in Cultural Contexts

Undergraduate Module:

Critical Issues in Education

Siqi previously taught core modules in Msc Education and Msc CEID at Moray House School of Education and Sport at University of Edinburgh, she was the Course Organisor of Msc Education (All pathways) Dissertation for all the Msc Education students, and the Course Organisor of Qualitative Data Research course for Msc Education (research pathway) students at University of Edinburgh.

Responsibilities & affiliations

A Member of British Sociological Association;

A Member of British Association for Chinese Studies;

A Member of Network for Research Into Chinese Education Mobilities;

A Member of Strathclyde Feminist Research Network

A Member of Comparative Education and International Development Research Group

A Member of Higher Education Research Group

Reviewer & Examiner Role:

1. PhD progression reviewer/examiner

    University of Strathclyde; University of Edinburgh

2. Ethical Reviewer for PhD research

    University of Strathclyde

3. Forum Reviewer, Migration Study Forum of the 2022 Young Scholar Summit

   Imperial College London

4. Book proposal Reviewer

5. Early Career Representative, a member of the selection panel of Postgraduate Research Student Scholarship

Peer Reviewer for Journals: 

Cambridge Journal of Education;

Studies in Continuing Education;

Comparative Education Review;

Asian Ethnicity

Areas of interest for PhD supervision

Siqi welcomes to discuss topics in areas of gender; education policy; social inequality in higher education; cultural capital; comparative education; transnational higher education; qualitative methodologies: ethnography; participant observation, interviews and desk-based studies.

Project activities

1. PhD research: 'Gender, Cultural Capital and Transnational Mobility: Chinese Female International Students' Transnational Aspirations and Transnational Lives in the UK' supported by University of Edinburgh SSPS Research Fund and Chinese Government Award for Outstanding Self-Financed Students Abroad
2. 2019-2024, Co-Investigator, The National Social Science Fund of China (350,000 RMB) supported project ‘Cultural Innovation in Chinese Social and Cultural Context’.
3. 2020-2021.07, Scottish Funding Council Global Challenge Research Fund  supported project ‘Universal Secondary Education in the Asia Pacific Region’. University of Edinburgh.
4. 2020.05-now, Principal Investigator, 'International Students' Experience during pandemic'
5. 2020.03-now, ‘The National Social Science Fund of China (350,000 RMB)’ supported project ‘A case study of students and teachers’ experience in Chinese higher education’

Honour and Awards:

2021 & 2022    University of Edinburgh EUSA Teaching Award Nominee (In the Category of Student Tutor of the Year & Personal Tutor of the Year & Best Course of the Year) ; 

2018 Chinese Government Award for Outstanding Self-Financed Students Abroad (this is the highest government award granted by the Chinese government to Chinese students overseas);

2018 Travel Grant of Young Scholar Forum Organised by East China University of Political Science and Law;

2017 ‘Annual Outstanding International Students of the Year Award',  awarded by Nouvelles D' Europe 

          (Ranked as the top 3 student among  the ten awarded outstanding students in vote in final round of competition)

2016-2017 University of Edinburgh SSPS Research Fund

Conference and Invited Talks:

Invited Talk, invited by Strathclyde Feminist Research Network, ‘Bringing gender into research with international students’, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, 8^th of May, 2024.

A Member of Early Career Researcher Panel, Spring into Methods Feminist Research Across Universities: Practice, Process and Power Relations, University of Stirling, Scottish Graduate School of Arts & Humanities, Scottish Graduate School of Social Science, Stirling, 26^th of April, 2024.

Zhang, S. (2023) ‘Constructing Identity through Accumulating Global Citizenship Cultural Capital: Chinese Women International Students’ Experiences at a British University’ Chinese Education Research Association 10th Anniversary annual conference. University College London. 30th of Nov, 2023.

Zhang, S. (2022) 'A Cultural Capital Perspective on Chinese International Students’ Mobility', Invited Opening Speech, Migration Studies Forum, Young Scholar Summit, Imperial College London, 12th of Dec, 2022.

Zhang, S. (2022) 'Cultural Capital as Class Strength and Gendered Educational Choices of Chinese Female Students in the United Kingdom', Invited Talk, Cambridge Chinese Migration Studies Group, the Centre for Study of Global Human Movement, University of Cambridge, 24th of Nov, 2022.

Zhang, S. (2022) 'International Students' Construction of Global Citizenship', Conference Proceedings, Citizenship and Education in Contemporary Chinese Societies, the Education University of Hong Kong, 21st of Jan, 2022.

Zhang, S. (2021) 'Conducting Observation for Qualitative Research', Student Experience Project Training Session, Moray House School of Education and Sport, University of Ediburgh. 3rd of May, 2021.

Zhang, S. and  Xu, C. L. (2021) Guest Lecture , 'The Making of Transnational Distinction: an Emobodied Cultural Capital Perspective on Chinese Women Students' Mobility' to the Ontario Institute Studies in Education, University of Toronto. 17th of April, 2021.

Zhang, S. (2019) 'Chinese International Students’ Social Networks in a Transnational Context: A Qualitative Study on the Chinese International Students', School of Foreign Languages, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, June, 2019.

Zhang, S. (2018) 'Gender and Education: Challenges of Women students and staff in STEM subjects', Department of Engineering, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, December, 2018.

Zhang, S. (2017) ‘The Changing Dressing Style of Female Student Migrants: A Case Study on Chinese International Students in Edinburgh’, Conference Proceedings, Age Agency Ambiguity - Gender and Generation in Times of Change: The Sixth Women and Gender Studies Annual International Conference, University of Oslo,  27-30th of July, 2017.

Zhang, S. (2017) ‘Identity Negotiation of Student Migrants in the Intercultural Education: A Study for Female Chinese International Students Studying in the UK’, Conference Proceedings, British Sociological Association Annual Conference, University of Manchester, Manchester, 5th April 2017.

Peer Reviewed Journal Articles:

Wang , C. & Zhang, S.* (2025) ‘Transnational Design Education for Future Architects: Reflections from Sino-Italian Joint Studios’ (Accepted/In press) Journal of Asian Architecture and Building Engineering. p.1-40.

Mai, Z. & Zhang, S. (2025), ‘新时代中国对外话语体系的建构语境、鲜明特色与价值意蕴’ [The Construction Context, Distinctive Features and Value Implications of China's Foreign Discourse System in the New Era], 江汉论坛 Jianghan Tribune, no. 2: 41-48.

Zhang, S. & Xu, C. L. (2020). 'The Making of Transnational Distinction: an Embodied Cultural Capital Perspective on Chinese Women Students’ Mobility', British Journal of Sociology of Education,  vol: 41, no.8: 1251-1267. https://doi.org/10.1080/01425692.2020.1804836   (one of the most cited articles published at BJSE in the last 3 years from 2020-09/2023) 

Zhang, S. (2023) ‘Constructing Global Citizenship Identity through Accumulating Cultural Capital: Chinese Women International Students’ Experiences at a British University’, Social Transformation in Chinese Societies. Vol. ahead-of-print p.1-16. https://doi.org/10.1108/STICS-08-2022-0015

Zhang , S. & Tang. X (2021). 'Cultural Capital as Class Strength and Gendered Educational Choices of Chinese Female Students in the United Kingdom', Frontiers in Psychology, vol: 11, p.1-12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.584360

Zhang, S. (2017), ‘离婚对家庭成员影响的差异性探讨——基于当代西方社会学者研究的视角 [An Enquiry of the Different Consequences of Divorce to Men, Women and Children from Western Sociological Perspective]’, 国外社会科学 （现刊名：世界社会科学）Social Science Abroad (Current Journal Name: Social Sciences International) , no. 2: 107-118. https://ssaj.ajcass.com/magazine/show/?id=86413&jumpnotice=202304060001

Zhang, S. (2018), ‘权力配置、社会构建与全球化：媒体作为受众社会化实践载体的探讨 [Power, Social Construction and Globalization: Media as Social Practice for Audiences]’, 华中师范大学学报 Journal of Central China Normal University, vol: 58, no. 4: 155-164. http://journal.ccnu.edu.cn/sk/CN/abstract/abstract5718.shtml

Zhang, S. (2018), ‘社交网络中的‘强连接’对于留学生活的影响：以伦敦政治经济学院的中国留学生为案例的质性实证研究 [Chinese International Students’ Social Networks in a Transnational Context: A Qualitative Study on the Chinese International Students at London School of Economics]’; 江汉论坛 Jianghan Tribune, no.1: 138-144. https://chn.oversea.cnki.net/KCMS/detail/detail.aspx?dbcode=CJFD&dbname=CJFDLAST2018&filename=JHLT201801022&uniplatform=OVERSEA&v=gvlYPT4rFZ2ES0BhlTgPt71SLYuP5mqsUqA5wzr3rRB8yG07HR3OwEMm4ApBz8bl

Zhang, S. (2013) ‘浅析《哈利·波特》小说中童话与现实结合的创作艺术[Social Reality and Fairy tale: The Literary Art in the Creation of Harry Potter Novels]’, 湖北社会科学 Hubei Social Science, no. 3: 136-139. https://fbsf.chinajournal.net.cn/WKH/WebPublication/paperDigest.aspx?paperID=10d4e1b8-3b06-4588-bb38-fbf7f013899f

Book Chapter:

Zhang, S. & Mittelmeier, J. (2023) Bringing gender into research with international students’, Research with International Students: Critical Conceptual and Methodological Consideration. Mittelmeier, J., Lomer, S. & Unkule, K. (ed.). London: Routledge, p.126-135. https://pure.strath.ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/portal/179933430/Zhang-Mittelmeier-Routledge-2023-Bringing-gender-into-research-with-international-students.pdf

Research Reports:

Grek, S., Zhang, S., Sabeti, S. & Gallagher, M. (2021) 'Complex and Intersecting Barriers to Access: Some Concluding Thoughts', In Smith, W., Viogt, A. & Zhang, Y. (Eds), Barriers to Secondary Education in the Asia Pacific Region: A Scoping Review of Four Countries. Research Report of the Scottish Funding Council Global Challenge Research Fund supported project ‘Universal Secondary Education in the Asia Pacific Region’. Edinburgh, UK: University of Edinburgh. https://www.ed.ac.uk/files/atoms/files/mh-ceid-ap-full-

Website Blog:

Zhang, S. & Xu, C. L. (2021) ‘Research Highlight Blog for The Making of Transnational Distinction: An Embodied Cultural Capital Perspective on Chinese Women Students’ Educational Mobility to the UK, posted Website of Network for research into Chinese Education Mobilities.  https://chineseedmobilities.com/2020/11/17/the-making-of-transnational-distinction-an-embodied-cultural-capital-perspective-on-chinese-women-students-mobility/

Successful Proposal for Knowledge Exchange:

Zhao, J., Wang, D., and Zhang, S. (2023) ‘Chinese Heritage in Multi-spaces of Multicultural Scotland’ (the proposal scored highly), Shared Spaces: Migration Past & Present, the UNESCO Chair in Refugee Integration through Languages and the Arts.