Mbappé, Jensen Huang and Memes: What China Really Thinks

Event information

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Want to get a glimpse under the hood of China?

This month’s Knowledge Session of the China Knowledge Network will give you just that. Dr. Qian Huang of Groningen University will share what discussions, debates and memes circulating on Chinese social media reveal about China’s public mood, societal concerns and changing debates?

Her research shows there’s a lot to learn from the conversations taking place online that rarely make it into international headlines.

From football superstar Mbappé to Nvidia’s CEO Jensen Huang’s affair and internet memes, we will explore what captures people’s attention, what issues resonate with Chinese citizens, and what their online conversations tell us about the hopes, frustrations and challenges shaping contemporary China.

An opportunity for academics, business professionals and policymakers alike to gain a fresh perspective on Chinese society and a better understanding of the voices and sentiments behind the headlines.

Preliminary Agenda

15.15–15.30 | Doors open
15.30–15.35 | Welcome and introduction — Mr Floris Harm, moderator
15.35–16.00 | Presentation by dr. Qian Huang
16.00–16.45 | Discussion and Q&A, moderated by Mr Floris Harm
16.45–17.00 | Closing
17.00–17.45 | Networking

About the speaker(s)

Qian Huang

Dr. Huang Qian is an assistant professor at the Centre for Media and Journalism Studies at University of Groningen and a visiting research fellow at the University of Oxford China Centre (2024). She obtained her PhD in October 2022 with the dissertation The assemblage of social death: Mapping digital vigilantism in China. Her research interests and expertise include digital vigilantism, participatory surveillance, cancel culture, and digital cultures in China. Her research intersects media studies and surveillance studies through the lens of intersectionality.