Yunyun Zhou

Dr. Yunyun Zhou is a Lecturer in Politics and Gender at Queen Mary University of London, part of the School of Politics and International Relations. She holds an MSc and DPhil in Political Sociology from the University of Oxford. Prior to joining Queen Mary in 2024, she held academic positions at Sciences Po and the University of Oslo.

Her research focuses on gender and authoritarianism, state feminism, political representation, and nationalism in East Asia. She employs political ethnography and interdisciplinary methods, with a current book project analyzing women cadres’ political subjectivities in China’s local governance. Recent works explore 'illiberal state feminism' and gender lobbying mechanisms in authoritarian contexts.

Her publications appear in Politics & Gender, Women’s Studies International Forum, and Journal of Contemporary China. She has received grants from the Chiang Ching Kuo Foundation and the Annette Lawson Charitable Trust, and collaborates with international research networks like the Feminism and Institutionalism International Network (FIIN).

• Grants: Collaborated on projects funded by the Swedish Research Council, Norwegian Research Council, and French-German research initiatives.
• Public Engagement: Co-founded FRA ØST TIL NORD, curates film festivals highlighting Asian cinema, and engages in feminist film curation and activism.

Her teaching includes courses on gender and politics, and she supervises PhD topics in gender, authoritarianism, and East Asian political sociology.