About
Lik Sam Chan is a Lecturer in Digital Cultures at the University of Sydney's Discipline of Media and Communications, with adjunct positions at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. His work bridges digital platform studies, LGBTQ+ communities, and cultural analysis across Asia-Pacific contexts.
- PhD in Communication (University of Southern California)
- MA in Media and Communications (Goldsmiths, University of London)
- BSc in Communication (The Chinese University of Hong Kong)
Research focuses on global dating app cultures and LGBTQ+ digital media use, applying mixed-methods analysis to explore intersections of technology, identity, and socio-political change. Key themes include queer resilience in digital spaces, platform affordances in China, and cross-cultural dating dynamics.
Recent publications analyze AI companionship ethics (2025), Queer digital cultures in Asia (2023-2025), and dating app impacts on queer mental health (2023-2025). Book: The Politics of Dating Apps: Gender, Sexuality, and Emergent Publics in Urban China (MIT Press, 2021; Chinese translation 2025).
Awards & Grants:
- 2024 - Chief Investigator, General Research Fund (HKD 613,040, withdrawn)
- 2022 - Top Faculty Paper, AEJMC LGBTQ Interest Group
- 2019 - Top Faculty Paper, ICA Communication and Technology Division
- 2018 - Honourable Mention, IAMCR Journalism Research Section
Professional roles: Co-Chair of ICA LGBTQ Studies Division, Associate Editor for Journal of Social and Personal Relationships and Personal Relationships, and member of the Chinese Studies Centre. Media contributions to BBC, Foreign Policy, and academic commentary on platforms like Bluesky (@liksamchan).
