Yong Zhou

Yong Zhou is a Research Fellow at the Norwegian Research Council, based at the Department of Social Anthropology, University of Cambridge and the Faculty of Law, University of Oslo. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Oslo and has held academic positions including Associate Professor (1996–2003) at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and adjunct roles at institutions such as Minzu University of China. His research focuses on international human rights law, indigenous peoples’ rights, environmental law, and legal anthropology. Key areas include Sami law in Nordic countries, China’s minority policies, and sustainable development governance.

Education: Ph.D. (University of Oslo), LLM (University of Nottingham), and LLB/Master's degrees from Chinese institutions. His work spans interdisciplinary studies, combining legal theory with anthropological methods.

Research Interests: Zhou examines the intersection of law and society, particularly minority rights implementation, FPIC principles in hydropower projects, and legal frameworks for indigenous self-determination. His studies often address challenges faced by marginalized communities in China and Nordic contexts.

Awards: Recipient of the British FCO Chevening Scholarship (1997–1999) and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences’ Excellent Academic Research Award (1996). He has contributed to international initiatives like the UN Forum on Linguistic Minorities’ Rights and the World Commission on Protected Areas (IUCN).

Grants/Advising: Program director for China-Norway research on law and ethnic affairs (2003–2015) funded by NORAD. Collaborations include the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology’s Environmental Rights in Cultural Context (ERCC) project.

Labs/Teams: Affiliated with the Norwegian Centre for Human Rights, University of Oslo, and the China-Norway research partnership. His work integrates legal scholarship with field-based studies on minority rights.