Mei Zhang

Dr. Mei Zhang is a Lecturer in Chinese Studies at the University of Sheffield's School of Languages, Arts and Societies. She holds a BA from Peking University and a PhD from the University of Cambridge. Her research focuses on globalization's impact on rural-urban migration, rural development in China's impoverished regions, and cross-cultural aspects of sustainable development. She has conducted studies funded by the European Commission and British Academy, examining urban comfort and sustainability between China and the UK through large-scale surveys and semantic differential analysis.

Dr. Zhang's work bridges multiple disciplines, including urbanization, environmental policy, and cultural preservation. She is affiliated with the SEAS Research Cluster and leads projects like INTERSECTION, exploring intergenerational justice in sustainability contexts. Her teaching and research emphasize participatory methodologies and cross-cultural comparisons, particularly in analyzing soundscapes in religious spaces and workplace environments.

Her projects often involve quantitative and qualitative analyses, such as studies on noise impacts in open-plan offices and acoustic characteristics of traditional Chinese architectural spaces. Dr. Zhang's contributions highlight the intersection of socio-economic dynamics, environmental challenges, and cultural values in shaping development trajectories in China and global contexts.