Profile

Jinghan Zeng is Professor of China and International Studies at Lancaster University. His research delves into China's domestic and international politics with a current focus on AI governance and Belt and Road Initiative. Professor Zeng has been named in the World's Top 2% Scientists list by Stanford University and Elsevier for four consecutive years since 2021. He is the author of several books including Artificial Intelligence with Chinese Characteristics: National Strategy, Security and Authoritarian Governance (2022), Slogan Politics: Understanding Chinese Foreign Policy Concepts (2020) and The Chinese Communist Party's Capacity to Rule: Ideology, Legitimacy and Party Cohesion (2015). He is also the co-editor of One Belt, One Road, One Story? Towards an EU-China Strategic Narrative (2021). Professor Zeng has published over thirty refereed articles in leading journals of politics, international relations and area studies including The Pacific Review, International Affairs, JCMS: Journal of Common Market Studies, and Third World Quarterly. He has secured funding from a variety of international sources, including the European Commission, Schmidt Futures (US) and Social Science Foundation of China. Professor Zeng's research has been featured by the journal Science and major media outlets including Financial Times, The Economist, Forbes and South China Morning Post.

Professor Zeng draws on his research to connect with audiences beyond academia. He has testified before the UK Parliament and advised United Nations, the British government (including Cabinet Office and Foreign & Commonwealth Office) and major FTSE 100 corporates. He regularly appears in TV and radio broadcasts including the BBC, ABC Australia, Al Jazeera, Asharq News,China Global Television Network (CGTN) and Voice of America. He has written op-ed articles for The Diplomat, BBC (Chinese), The Conversation, Nikkei Asia, Policy Forum, Korea on Point among others.

At Lancaster University, Professor Zeng also holds the position of Academic Director of China Engagement and serves as the Director of Lancaster University Confucius Institute. In this capacity, he leads a dedicated team of over 25 staff to foster cultural and language exchange between the UK and China. Under his leadership, Lancaster University Confucius Institute received the award of “Confucius Institute of the Year” from Confucius Institute Headquarters and "Outstanding Contribution" from Lancaster University. Previously he was Senior Lecturer of International Relations and Director of Centre for Politics in Africa, Asia and the Middle East (AAME) at Royal Holloway, University of London. Professor Zeng also lectured at University of Cambridge, London School of Economics and Political Science, Royal College of Defence Studies (UK), LUISS (Italy), Tsinghua University (China) and Zhejiang University (China).

He is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (UK) and holds degrees from the University of Warwick (PhD, completed within 2 years, 2014) and the University of Pittsburgh (MA, 2011). He has also hold visiting professor/fellow positions at numerous universities worldwide including Tsinghua University (China), University of Navarra (Spain) and University of Warwick. Before embarking on his academic career, he worked for the United Nations’ Department of Economic and Social Affairs in New York City.

Prospective PhD students who want to study Chinese domestic and international politics are welcome.

曾敬涵，英国兰卡斯特大学教授，兰卡斯特大学孔子学院英方院长。从事国际政治，传播和国别区域研究，当前重点关注一带一路和人工智能政策，出版中英文专著四本，近著包括《中国特色人工智能：国家战略，安全和治理，2022》和《口号政治，2020》，编著有《一带一路，一个故事？打造中欧共同的战略叙事，2021》。在SSCI期刊发表论文30余篇。主持和参与多项欧盟，美国以及中国社科基金资助的科研项目。研究成果曾被《Science》杂志报道，并就相关研究接受该杂志采访。从2021年起连续三年至今入选美国斯坦福大学与爱思唯尔数据库发布的“全球前2%顶尖科学家”名单。

作为国际问题和人工智能治理领域的专家为联合国，欧盟委员会，英国内阁办公室，英国外交部等机构提供政策咨询和建议，曾受邀出席英国议会听证会，参与多份政策报告。经常就国际问题接受英国BBC, 卡塔尔半岛电视台，澳大利亚ABC，Sky News, 《卫报》，《经济学人》，《金融时报》，中国中央电视台，新华社，《人民日报》等国内外媒体采访。

此前曾在剑桥大学，伦敦政治经济学院和英国皇家国防研究学院授课，学术生涯前曾就职于纽约联合国经济和社会事务部。