Bei Wang
Bei Wang was born in China and moved to the Netherlands in 2000. She obtained a BA of English literature from Fudan University in China and a MA of European Studies from University of Amsterdam. After working as campaign officer at Greenpeace International, Bei was Editor-in-Chief and Head of Chinese department at Dutch broadcaster RNW Media, representing the Netherlands in China during several international cultural & media exchanges.
Later on, Bei co-founded digital consulting firm FIVE Group and web3 start-up Straight Fire. Bei is board member of Pan Asian Connections in the Netherlands. At Creative Business, she teaches International Creative Business, Exploring Cultural Differences, supervises graduation assignments and has developed the minor programme Digital China. Bei is also a member of Creative Business’ Board of Industry.
Fields of expertise
- International Creative Business: specialising in China and Asia
- Explore cultural differences
- Digital China minor
Research themes
Current research project: understanding Digital China – Chinese users’ views on data-driven technology. This project investigates the social and cultural dimensions of the digital transformation in the Chinese context.
| Project title | Understanding Digital China |
| Keywords | China, digital, big data, AI, 5G, technology, media, social media, narrative |
| Years of completion | 2022/2023 |
| General project description | This research project investigates the social and cultural dimensions of the digital transformation in the Chinese context. More specifically, it explores how Chinese users perceive and evaluate emerging technological trends such as artificial intelligence (A.I.), big data, blockchain, 5G, and the Internet of Things. Technology plays a central role in daily live in China, both for personal and professional purposes. The country hosts some of the world’s leading tech companies and Chinese society has adopted data-driven, automated solutions at a rapid pace over the past decade. The study connects here and has two main goals: First, to chart Chinese discourses on the perceived benefits, values, and risks that accompany the dissemination of novel, data-driven technologies in the country (and worldwide). Second, to critically review and revise misconceptions and stereotypes about Chinese digital society in the “global West” and especially in Europe. Chinese users’ relationship to technology is complex, nuanced and there is a public discourse on the value and risks of technology happening in China that remains largely invisible to the European-/Western “gaze”. |
| Your Role in project | research, co-author |
Qualifications
- BA in English literature, Fudan University China
- MA in European Studies, University of Amsterdam
- BDB qualification, HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht.