Zehong Cen

My doctoral research focuses on the political economy of China's technological upgrading and global economic integration. Focusing on Guangdong Province, I examine how national development strategies are mediated through subnational governance and regional innovation systems, shaping the capabilities firms develop for international expansion. By comparing internationalisation pathways across technology-intensive manufacturing and digital industries, my research explores how regional institutions, sectoral characteristics, and firm strategies interact under changing geopolitical and regulatory conditions.

Before joining Oxford, I completed an MPhil in Development Studies at the University of Cambridge and an MSc in China & Globalisation at King's College London, where I received the Lau China Institute Prize for the Best Dissertation. I also hold a BA (Hons) in Business and Management from Durham University.

My previous research explored the internationalisation of Chinese digital gaming companies, particularly Tencent and NetEase. As a research assistant at the Centre for China Studies, Chinese University of Hong Kong, I contributed to research on cross-border innovation governance and university-industry-research collaboration in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, focusing on institutional coordination, knowledge exchange, and research commercialisation. My professional experience at NetEase Games has also informed my interest in Chinese firms' international expansion.

Supervisor: Maria Adele Carrai

Research disciplines

• Political Economy
• Development Studies
• Economic Geography
• International Political Economy
• Innovation Studies
• International Business

Research keywords

• China's Political Economy, Global China, Regional Innovation Systems, Cross-Border Innovation Governance, Subnational Governance, Industrial Policy, Technological Upgrading, Firm Internationalisation, Global Production Networks, Guangdong and the Greater Bay Area

Research countries

• China