Wanlu (Vera) Chi

Wanlu (Vera) Chi is currently pursuing a Doctoral Researcher in Human Geography at Loughborough University, under the supervision of Dr Sophie Cranston and Professor Darren Smith. Her research explores the intersection of migration, global talent flow, global identities, and socio-spatial dynamics, focusing on how return migrant students from the UK navigate social identity within China's urban landscapes.

With a rich interdisciplinary background that includes educational leadership, management, and accounting, Wanlu (Vera) brings a multifaceted perspective to her research. She holds a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from University College London and an MBA from the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences. Her prior academic achievements include an award-winning thesis on online education platforms and a dissertation on international talent management, which have inspired her current focus on migration and its impact on social and spatial transformations.

Supervisors: Dr Sophie Cranston and Professor Darren Smith

Wanlu (Vera) Chi’s PhD research at Loughborough University explores the social identity formation of Chinese students returning from the UK, focusing on spatial mobility and place-based identity. Her study examines how global educational experiences influence the reintegration of returnees into China’s urban spaces, with a particular emphasis on cities like Shanghai.

Grounded in human geography and using Social Identity Theory (SIT), Wanlu (Vera) investigates the impact of transnational experiences on social belonging and identity. She explores how students’ time abroad shapes their perceptions of social status and community upon their return, and how these returnees navigate between global and local identities.

Wanlu (Vera)’s research uses a mixed-methods approach, incorporating digital ethnography, surveys, and interviews to examine how returnees construct their identities in both physical and digital spaces.

By focusing on global talent flow and the socio-spatial dynamics of migration, her research sheds light on the broader implications of international student mobility. Wanlu (Vera)’s findings contribute to the fields of population geography and migration studies, offering insights into how global mobility reshapes urban landscapes and social structures.