Yan Zhu

Dr Yan Zhu is a Lecturer at University College London, Institute of Education, based in the Department of Education, Practice and Society. She previously held posts as Lecturer in Early Years at Bath Spa University and as Teaching Fellow in Childhood Studies at the University of Leeds. Her academic journey began with a BA in Sociology from Wuhan University, followed by an MA from the University of Warwick, an MSc in Childhood Studies and a PhD from the University of Edinburgh.

Research Interests

• Children’s everyday lives and personal relationships
• Intimacy, display and affect in childhood friendships
• Gender, sexuality and power in children’s school experiences
• Children’s rights to protection and participation
• Qualitative and ethnographic methods with children
• Ethics of China-based fieldwork

Across her recent publications (2020-2024) Dr Zhu has consistently explored how Chinese children navigate friendships, gender norms and power relations within school and boarding-school contexts. She employs ethnographic and participatory approaches to foreground children’s voices, addressing themes such as bullying, romantic relationships, activism and the negotiation of Confucian-collectivist values.

Conference Contributions & Professional Activities

• Keynote and panel presentations at BERA, BAICE, ISCI and Childhood Studies conferences
• Organised symposia on ethical challenges and children’s rights in research
• Public engagement through blogs, social media and policy-oriented reports

Dr Zhu teaches modules on Sociology of Childhood, Qualitative Research Methods, and Families, Children & the State, integrating her current research into the curriculum to foster critical, child-centred scholarship.