Julie Yu-Wen Chen's research and teaching are multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary. Julie does research and teaches across the realm of humanities and social sciences. Among her courses are "Governance in China", “Transnational Politics”, "China's International Relations and Diplomacy", "Consumption of East Asian Economies" and others. 

Julie’s research interests are:

• China’s soft power
• Belt and Road Initiatives (BRI)
• China's political and economic initiatives in post-Soviet societies (e.g., Central Asia, Central and Eastern Europe), Africa, & Nordic countries
• Theories of collective actions, interest groups & transnational advocacy networks
• Globalization and glocalization

She has published in peer-reviewed academic journals such as Globalizations, Problems of Post-Communism, Journal of Chinese Political Science, Ethnic and Racial Studies, Asia Europe Journal and Asian Survey. Some of her papers can be freely downloaded below.

Lavička, Martin; Chen, Julie Yu-Wen (2023) New Measures for Governing Religions in Xi’s China. China Report. https://doi.org/10.1177/00094455231187046

Chen, Julie Yu-Wen; Ristivojević, Dušica (2023) Global-Local Dynamics in the Belt and Road Initiative Projects. The Asia Pacific Journal: Japan Focus 21(4): 1-11.

Chen, Julie Yu-Wen (2022) Reconciling Different Approaches to Conceptualizing the Glocalization of the Belt and Road Initiative Projects. Globalizations. 

Chen, Julie Yu-Wen (2022) Implementation of the HSK and Its Home Edition during the Covid-19 Pandemic: A Survey of European Test Centres. International Journal of Chinese Education.

Chen, Yu-Wen; Günther, Olaf (2020) Back to Normalization or Conflict with China in Greater Central Asia? Evidence from Local Students’ Perceptions. Special issue “Encounters after the Soviet Collapse: Chinese Presence in the Former Soviet Union Border Zone”. Problems of Post-Communism 67(3): 228-240.

Chen, Yu-Wen; Hao, Yu-Fan (2020) Czech Perception of the Rise of China: A Survey among University Students. Asia Europe Journal 18(1): 157-175.

Hodzi, Obert; Chen, Yu-Wen (2018) Follow the Flow: China’s Strategy to Global Leadership. China Quarterly of International Strategic Studies 4(1): 1-21

Chen, Yu-Wen; Jiménez-Tovar, Soledad (2017) China in Central Asia: Local Perceptions from Future Elites. China Quarterly of International Strategic Studies 3(3): 429-455.

Chen, Yu-Wen; Günther, Olaf (2016) China’s Influence in Uzbekistan: Model Neighbor or Indifferent Partner? China Brief 16 (17): 11-14.

Chen, Yu-Wen; Duggan, Niall (2016) Soft Power and Tourism: A Study of Chinese Outbound Tourism to Africa. Journal of China and International Relations 4 (1): 45-66.

Chen, Yu-Wen; Yap, Ko-Hua, Lee, Joey Ying (2013) Tianditu: China’s First Official Online Mapping Service, Media, Culture & Society 35(2): 234-249.

Chen, Yu-Wen (2013) Bringing a Network Perspective to Chinese Internet Studies: An Exploratory Analysis, Journal of Chinese Political Science 18(4): 355-374.

Chen, Yu-Wen (2012) A Network Approach to the Study of the World Uyghur Congress’ Global Outreach: A Methodological Note, Journal of Chinese Political Science 17(1): 77-88.

Chen, Yu-Wen (2011) Quantitative Content Analysis of Chinese Texts?: A Methodological Note, Journal of Chinese Political Science  16(4): 431-443.

You may also find her recent writings for think tanks here.

Chen, Julie Yu-Wen; Wallenböck, Ute (2023) Reincarnation System of Living Buddhas: A Taiwanese Perspective, in Jagannath Panda and Eerishika Pankaj (eds.) The Dalai Lama’s Succession: Strategic Realities of the Tibet Question, p. 62-67. Stockholm: Institute for Security & Development Policy.

Chen, Julie Yu-Wen; Kallio, Jyrki (2023) Finland–Taiwan Relations: An Overview and Review of Changes after the COVID-19 Pandemic, in Julie Yu-Wen Chen and Torbjörn Lodén (eds.) Slowly Taking Off: Nordic-Taiwan Relations, p. 27-45. Stockholm: Institute for Security & Development Policy.

Julie Yu-Wen Chen is Professor of Chinese Studies at the Department of Cultures at the Faculty of Arts at the University of Helsinki (Finland). Chen serves as one of the Editors of the Journal of Chinese Political Science (Springer, SSCI). She is co-representing Finland in COST ACTION: China in Europe Research Network (European Cooperation in Science & Technology funded by EU Horizon 2020). Chen is also board member of the Bratislava-based Central European Institute of Asian Studies (CEIAS) and the European Association for Chinese Studies (EACS)

From 2023-2025, she is in the EU twinning project The EU in the Volatile Indo-Pacific Region (EUVIP) where she leads the preparatory research and provides supervision and counselling to junior researchers.

Back in 2018, Chen helped bring in the 6.8 million Euro project Sinophone Borderlands: Interactions at the Edges to Palacky University, Czech Republic which she now serves as a member in the Advisory Scientific Board. The project is sponsored by European Regional Development Fund & Czech Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (175 million CZK, around 6,8 million EURO).

Formerly, Chen was chair of Nordic Association of China Studies (NACS) and Editor-in-Chief of Asian Ethnicity (Taylor & Francis).

For more info, please visit University of Helsinki Chinese Studies website and Youtube. 

Nordic Asia Podcast in NEW BOOKS NETWORK: Julie's Episodes