Eric Zhang
Eric Zhang is a Junior Researcher at the LeidenAsiaCentre. His work at LAC started in 2020 on the project ‘How Asia Confronts COVID-19 through Technology’, where he wrote a chapter on Taiwan’s application of digital technologies at early stages of the pandemic. He has also written on Russian perspectives on China as an actor in cyberspace as a part of LAC project ‘China’s Role in Cyber Security’. His current work mainly involves research on the impact of China’s economic footprint and its high-tech sector on Europe under the framework of several projects. He has a particular interest in incorporating advanced quantitative methods, such as text mining and network analysis in policy-relevant academic research.
Eric graduated from Leiden University with an MSc in International Relations and Diplomacy. During his studies, he was also an intern at the EU and Global Affairs Unit of the Netherlands Institute of International Relations (Clingendael). He previously graduated magna cum laude from University College Roosevelt of Utrecht University with a BA in Political Science and Economics, where he completed his thesis in contemporary Russia’s geopolitical conceptualisation of the Post-Soviet Space. Additionally, he completed a minor in Methods and Statistics and another minor in Dutch Language and Culture.
Eric is a native speaker of Mandarin and a fluent speaker of Russian. He also has a working proficiency in Dutch, and a limited working proficiency in French and Ukrainian.
Research Interests
- Impact of emerging digital technologies and cyber security
- Disinformation and political narratives
- Application of advanced quantitative methods on policy-relevant research
- East Asia
- Eastern Europe
PROJECTS & PUBLICATIONS
Chinese Governance of International Academic Exchanges (2022)
China’s Standardisation System (2022)
