School of Sociology and Population Studies

Renmin University of China

zhangruichen@ruc.edu.cn

ACADEMIC POSITION

Lecturer in Sociology, Renmin University of China, 2022 – present

EDUCATION

PhD in Sociology, University of Cambridge, 2017 – 2022

Thesis: Humour as Negotiation: Digital Cultures of Friendly Political Humour on the Chinese Internet, supervised by Dr Ella McPherson

China Scholarship Council Full PhD Scholarship

MA in Sociology, Peking University, 2014 – 2017 (Grade 90%)

Thesis: The Double Justification of Petitioning in China, supervised by Prof Neng Liu

Outstanding Thesis Award, Erasmus Mundus Exchange Award at University of Kent

BA in Sociology, Peking University, 2010 – 2014 (GPA 3.71/4.00)

A Techno-power Analysis of Hukou Management System, grade 89%

Outstanding Graduate Award, Cyrus Tang Scholarship

PUBLICATIONS

Zhang, R. (2024). “Negotiating Censorship through ‘Socialist Recoding’ on the Chinese Internet: Nuances and Potentialities in a Contested Cyberspace.” Information, Communication & Society 27(1): 126-142.

Foster, C. & Zhang, R. eds. (2023). Special Issue: Iteration as Persuasion in a Digital World. AI & Society 38(5).

Foster, C. & Zhang, R. (2023). “Special Issue: Iteration and Persuasion as Key Conditions of Digital Societies.” AI & Society, 38(5): 1981-1986.

Zhang, R. & Kang, B. (2022). “From Propaganda to Memes: Resignification of Political Discourse through Memes on the Chinese Internet.” International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction.

Zhang, R. (2020). “Re-directing Socialist Persuasion through Affective Reiteration: A Discourse Analysis of ‘Socialist Memes’ on the Chinese Internet.” AI & Society, 38(5): 2093-2104.

Zhang, R. & Liu, N. (2020). “Structural Encounters, Meaning Making, and Self-construction: The Reproduction of Chinese Petitioners from a ‘Normalization’ Perspective.” Journal of Asian Sociology, 49(1): 29-56.

RESEARCH GRANTS

Lead Researcher (2023-present), “The ‘Red Culture’ Discourse and Youth Identification in Digital China,” The National Social Science Fund of China (23CSH015, ¥200,000)

Lead Researcher (2013), “Inter-group Conflicts & Symbiosis: A Study of Petitions from the Perspective of Spatial Politics,” Peking University President Fund (¥2,000)

Lead Researcher (2011-2012), “New Consumer Communities in Contemporary Digital Consumer Society: A Case Study of ‘Freebiers’,” Peking University Challenge Cup Academic Paper Competition (Top Prize, Honorarium of ¥2,000)

TEACHING

Course Instructor, Renmin University of China, 2022 – present

Introduction to Sociology, Contemporary Western Sociology

Undergraduate supervision, Department of Sociology, University of Cambridge, 2019-2021

SOC3: Modern Societies II: Global Social Problems and Dynamics of Resistance

SOC7: Media, Culture & Society

Cambridge Sociology Supervisor Award Nomination (2020)

LEADERSHIP AND AFFILIATIONS

Reviewer, peer-reviewed journal Information, Communication & Society (SSCI), 2023-present

Guest co-editor, peer-reviewed journal AI & Society (ESCI/EI) “Iteration as Persuasion in a Digital World” Special Issue, 2019-2023

Co-founder & Co-editor, Postgraduate Blog “The Cambridge Researcher” of School of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Cambridge, 2019-2020

Co-convener, ‘Iteration as Persuasion’ events of “Re-” Interdisciplinary Network, Cambridge Centre for Research in the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, 2018-2019

Researcher, Migrant Youth Adaptation Project, Department of Social Sciences, the Ministry of Education, China, 2015 – 2017

Research Associate (translator), China Family Panel Studies (2010) User’s Manual, Institute of Social Science Survey, Peking University, 2013

AWARDS AND HONOURS

Chinese Student Award (2021), The Great Britain-China Educational Trust

PhD Scholarship (2017-2020), China Scholarship Council (approx. £100,000)

Outstanding Thesis Award (2017), Peking University

Graduate Studentship (2014-2017), Peking University (¥25,200)

Erasmus Mundus Lotus+ Award (2015-2016), The European Commission (approx. €12,000)

Outstanding Graduate Award (2014), Peking University

Cyrus Tang Scholarship (2011-2014), Peking University