Elaine Hui

Elaine Hui is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Labor and Employment Relations at Pennsylvania State University, cross-appointed in Asian Studies. She holds a Ph.D. in Economics and Social Sciences from the University of Kassel, Germany. Her research examines labor policies, industrial relations, and civil society dynamics in China, with comparative studies in Vietnam and Hong Kong. Key focus areas include state-labor dynamics, worker collective actions, and the evolution of social welfare systems in authoritarian contexts.

Her scholarship bridges political economy and legal frameworks, analyzing how institutional changes shape labor resistance and state strategies. Notable work includes studies on pension strikes, transnational labor practices in Chinese MNCs, and NGO-labor synergies. She contributes to peer-reviewed journals like the British Journal of Industrial Relations and China Quarterly.

Teaching focuses on comparative labor systems in China and broader employment relations frameworks. Her research consistently interrogates the interplay between political authoritarianism and evolving labor movements, offering critical insights into regime stability and worker agency.