Two PhD candidates from the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (CLASS) have been awarded prestigious Fulbright – Research Grants Council (RGC) Hong Kong Research Scholar Awards by the US government in recognition of their promising work.

ZHU Qinfeng from the Department of Media and Communication and ZHOU Xiaoyu from the Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences (formerly known as Department of Applied Social Sciences) were presented with their awards by Mr Kurt W TONG, US Consul General in Hong Kong and Macau. The awards will sponsor their research in the United States.

Zhu Qinfeng’s research focuses on the political and civic implications of new media technologies. During her Fulbright fellowship at the University of Michigan, she will examine the effects of social media on the phenomenon of polarisation via selective avoidance behaviours such as “unfriending” and “unfollowing”.

Zhou Xiaoyu is conducting research into cultural differences in people’s ability to manage and respond to emotional experiences. She plans to compare emotion regulation strategies used by Americans and Chinese when she attends Ball State University in Indiana.

“I offer the two award winners my heartfelt congratulations. I think that the awards are recognition of the teaching excellence and student quality in CLASS at CityU”, said Professor Xiaowei ZANG, Dean of CLASS.

The Fulbright–RGC Hong Kong Research Scholar Award Programme is a flagship academic exchange run by the US government. Its aim is to build friendships and cross-cultural understanding between scholars in the United States and those in other countries. It is funded by the RGC in partnership with private donors.

Cover: The awardees were congratulated by Mr Thomas Hodges (fourth from left), Deputy Consul General in Hong Kong and Macau, during his visit to CLASS.

(adapted from CityU NewsCentre)