Zirui Chen holds an MA in Journalism from Shanghai International Studies University (China) and a MA with distinction in Digital Media and Society in Loughborough University. Zirui began her doctoral research at Loughborough University in October 2023 under the supervision of Dr. Michael Skey and Dr. Taeyoung Kim.
Mediatized Chinese fandom in a digital era.
PGR Supervisors: Dr Michael Skey and Dr Taeyoung Kim
Zirui’s research looks at fan practices on Chinese social media, especially fan labour and fandom nationalism. With a particular focus of viewing Chinese fandom as a dynamic social process involving fans, commercial companies and the nation, the project aims to explore the process of fandom practices which is relevant to social institutions and hierarchies within the digital sphere.