{"id":58,"date":"2023-09-18T20:15:56","date_gmt":"2023-09-18T19:15:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shiwei-chen.com\/?page_id=58"},"modified":"2026-08-25T07:26:07","modified_gmt":"2026-08-25T06:26:07","slug":"about-me","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/shiwei-chen.com\/","title":{"rendered":"About me"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I am a sociologist and ethnographer specializing in medical sociology, migration, and science and technology studies. My research trajectory bridges the social and life sciences to address urgent societal challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hold a PhD in Sociology from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) Singapore. My early research explored migration, ethnicity, nationalism, and the formation of social boundaries, with a geographic focus on Northeast China, South Korea, and North Korea. While living and working alongside migrant communities, I developed a keen interest in healthcare inequalities. This inspired my postdoctoral research in medical sociology and education at the Imperial College London-NTU joint medical school and the Nanyang Centre for Public Administration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since moving to the Netherlands in 2022, my work has shifted toward science-society relationships. At Erasmus University Rotterdam, my research examined the interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary infrastructures that help academia tackle issues of inequality, diversity, and inclusion. Currently, I am based at Vrije Universiteit (VU) Amsterdam, where my project examines Open Science Communities (OSCs) and their role in driving the cultural transition toward open science.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I took this photo in Pyongyang, North Korea during my PhD multi-sited ethnographic fieldwork in June 2017. The state’s presence is constant here, from the towering propaganda billboard to the loyalty pins on everyone\u2019s lapels.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Research Aims<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

My overarching research is driven by a twofold mission:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. To understand the processes through which individuals become members of a community, and how these intersect with identity politics to create social stratification;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. To identify and dismantle structural barriers, inspiring policies and practices that foster an inclusive society where disadvantaged populations can achieve, aspire, and feel at home.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Research Streams<\/strong> I approach social inequality, diversity and inclusion through a broad, interdisciplinary lens. My work bridges ethnic minority experiences, health equity, and academic infrastructures, organized into three overlapping streams:<\/p>\n\n\n\n