Scottish Centre for China Research

When: Wednesday 18 March 2026 at 4:00pm–5.30pm 
Where: 139 Board Room, 25 Bute Gardens, University of Glasgow 
 

Abstract: 

As conducting interviews and surveys has become increasingly challenging for foreign-based researchers in post-Covid China, participant observation may offer a practical alternative. Drawing on the speaker’s own experience of conducting field observation in China in 2025, this talk reflects on the procedures, strategies, and tactics involved in observational research. It also invites discussion with the audience on how to interpret and make sense of the information gathered through observation.

Speaker Bio: Hua Wang is a lecturer in Politics and International Studies, School of Social and Political Sciences at University of Glasgow. Her main research interests lie in the areas of business lobbying, state-society relations, and the policy processes in authoritarian settings. She has published papers in the Journal of Asian Public Policy, the Review of Policy Research, Politics and Political Studies. Her current research focuses on the politics of elder care planning and provision in urban and rural China.


The Scottish Centre for China Research is grateful for the support of the MacFie Bequest for its seminar series.

For further information, contact Professor Jane Duckett <jane.duckett@glasgow.ac.uk>

First published: 5 March 2026

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