Hangyu Zhou

Hangyu Zhou is a PhD candidate at the African Studies Centre Leiden (ASCL), researching China’s Digital Soft Power in Africa under the supervision of Professor Chibuike Uche and Professor Marleen Dekker. His research, funded by the CSC-Leiden University Scholarship, uses a multi-method approach to examine Sino-African digital cooperation, focusing on China’s digital engagement with Africa and its broader implications for international relations and African agency.

Before joining the ASCL, Hangyu earned a Master’s degree in Diplomacy with a concentration in International Economics from Beijing Foreign Studies University. He also worked as a teaching assistant in International Business. After graduation, he completed an 11-month internship at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations' specialised agency for Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), where he contributed to the Generation Connect (GC) and the Child Online Protection (COP) initiatives. 

 Hangyu is passionate about inclusive and sustainable collaboration among emerging economies, with a specific focus on digital development.

 Fields of Interest: Digital Soft Power, Sino-African Cooperation, E-Commerce, International Relations in the Digital Age.