Zhihang is a DPhil candidate in Global and Area Studies at St Antony’s College. His doctoral research focuses on the government's role in digital transformation, specifically within the manufacturing sector. He aims to explore policies in China that facilitate and regulate the development and application of digital technologies. Zhihang holds an MSc degree in Global and Area Studies from Oxford and a BA in International Affairs from George Washington University.
DPhil topic
This doctoral research delves into the government's role in the digital transformation of the manufacturing sector. In the context of an increasing focus on innovation and sustainability in the new digital economy era, the study explores how government promotes and regulates the digital transformation of companies in China through various policy tools. An innovative theoretical framework is employed, merging Compressed Development theory, Neo-Schumpeterian national innovation systems theory and Neo-Polanyian theories to elucidate state-market dynamics. Fieldwork and interviews have been conducted with policy makers, business practitioners and scholars across three distinctive Chinese provinces – Guangdong, Anhui and Sichuan. These provinces were chosen to represent diversity in terms of economic development stages and regions. Insights gathered from participant observations within central government ministries and local level interviews contribute to the theoretical underpinnings and policy implications of the research. The study is currently at the stage of confirming these findings and insights for its status submission.
