Research Seminar on How Do Zhihu Users Portray Chinese Doctoral Supervisors (Huaren Daoshi華人導師) Working in Western Academia?

The image of Chinese doctoral supervisors in Western academia was the focus of Dr Cora Lingling Xu’s research seminar on December 16, 2024. She is an Associate Professor in the School of Education at Durham University, UK. Underpinned by analysis of comments on the Chinese language knowledge-sharing platform, zhihu.com, Dr Xu discussed her recently published article that found Chinese supervisors as being ambitious and supportive, sneaky and exploitative, and colonised.

The presentation of the findings prompted audience members to identify with aspects of the topic. Some reflected on the positive and negative traits of supervisors and how they have adapted to changes. Dr Xu concluded that colonial attitudes contribute to racial injustice in Western academia.

Dr Xu took the audience through the various stages of research and how she reflected on her practices as a supervisor. This reflection helped guide the paper’s critical lens. By introducing and unpacking a journal article from an author’s perspective, participants were exposed to the personal challenges faced in an autoethnographic paper.

This seminar was particularly beneficial for current and prospective graduate students with research interests in Epistemic injustice and Neo-racism Historically White.

Dr Cora Lingling Xu is an Associate Professor in the School of Education at Durham University, UK.