Heila Sha

Dr. Heila Sha is a Research Fellow at the University of Sussex (UK), affiliated with the ERC-funded project 'Yiwu: Trust, Global Traders and Commodities in a Chinese International City' (TRODITIES). Her work focuses on transnational marriages, gender dynamics, migration, and globalization. She holds a Ph.D. from the Max-Planck Institute for Social Anthropology (2015), with research on eldercare in Northwest China, culminating in her 2017 book Care and Ageing in North-West China.

Her research explores transnational marriages between Chinese women and foreign traders in Yiwu, examining intersections of business, culture, and identity. Fieldwork in Zhejiang Province (2016–2017) underpins her analyses of global trade networks and cultural integration. Recent publications (2019) in Global Networks and Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies reflect her focus on transnational relationships, mobility, and economic dynamics.

Sha is part of the interdisciplinary TRODITIES team, investigating flows of goods, ideas, and people in Yiwu. Her role emphasizes studying interactions between local populations and international traders across business, marriage, and cultural practices.