Biography

I am a Lecturer in Intercultural Communication and Deputy Programme Leader for MSc Intercultural Business Communication (with TESOL). I lead postgraduate modules in intercultural communication and intercultural competence at Edinburgh Napier Business School. I also teach undergraduate modules in similar subjects, including two modules with a focus on Mandarin Chinese (for beginners).

I supervise dissertations and theses in areas that resonate with my research interests, broadly summarised as: thematically - intercultural communication (in education, the workplace, and the wider community), dialogue in interpersonal communication, cultural identity, the liminality of transitional experiences; methodologically - qualitative research, with a particular interest in narrative inquiry and researching multilingually.

I hold a BA and an MA in English Language and Literature from Peking University, China. My PhD is in intercultural communication / education from the University of Manchester, UK (thesis entitled ‘A narrative exploration of the UK academic acculturation experiences of students from mainland China’). I am a committee member (Membership Secretary and Treasurer) of the International Association for Languages and Intercultural Communication (IALIC) since 2014.