Dr Jian Xu studies Chinese media and communication with a particular focus on the governance, policy, politics and cultures of Chinese internet and digital media. He also researches Chinese celebrities to understand their roles in cultural governance, propaganda and public diplomacy. Jian is working on a project to study ‘Mom Jury’ in China, an NGO formed by mothers of teenagers which voluntarily reviews online content, reports harmful content for the children to internet regulatory authorities, and helps promote digital citizenship education at home.

Jian hopes that his expertise on China’s internet policies and governance will contribute to the Centre’s understanding of how children and young people in China are educated to acquire digital literacy and become good netizens, as well as how popular Chinese digital platforms (e.g. Douyin and Kuaishou) design and apply ‘teenager mode’ to protect underagers from inappropriate online content.

Jian co-convenes the Asian Media and Cultural Studies Network at Deakin University and edits the book series on Asian Celebrity and Fandom Studies (Bloomsbury Academic). He is co-editing two books on Asian celebrities and digital media, and the governance of vulgar internet cultures in China. He is also co-authoring a book on Kuaishou, one of China’s most popular short-video and livestreaming platforms.

Earliest digital memory
I received a Xiaobawang learning machine from my grandfather as a reward for my good final examination results in 1993. Called ‘learning machine’ in its omnipresent advertising (endorsed by Jackie Chan), it helped greatly improve my Super Mario level during that summer holiday.