• Chao Zhang, PhD in Law (specializing in International Relations), researcher at the Institute of European Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (Beijing, China)

After earning his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in China – at Qingdao University and the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, respectively – Chao Zhang decided to come to Barcelona, to pursue a doctorate in Law, specializing in International Relations, at UPF. He stayed for three years (2014-2017), during which time he wrote the thesis ‘EU-China environmental cooperation: an institutionalist study’ under the supervision of Pablo Pareja, a Serra Húnter researcher in the Department of Law.

He says he chose UPF because it is a young, international and very promising university that is well-ranked in the social sciences. ‘I spent most of my three years at UPF in the Ciutadella campus library, in the Dipòsit de les Aigües building. I remember the first time I went in: it was so extraordinary that I told myself I wouldn’t let a day go by without going there.’ He adds, ‘I also remember the classes I attended and the pleasant chats with lecturers and classmates in the cafeteria and other spots on campus. I received excellent supervision from my thesis director and genuine support from the Department of Law.’

“I spent most of my three years at UPF in the Ciutadella campus library"

After earning his PhD, he decided to go back to his country, as he had found a good job. He works as a researcher at the Institute of European Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. ‘It is the largest and most influential institute in China dedicated to European studies. I focus on issues such as EU development policy and humanitarian aid, development cooperation between China and the EU, and triangular cooperation’, he explains.

Chao thinks that both the EU and China are constructive global players and that their relationship has been good in recent decades, despite some minor disputes. ‘In today’s world, filled with so much uncertainty, the China-EU relationship is increasingly important.’ He says that China has invested a lot in tackling climate change on a national scale, in addition to collaborating with like-minded partners, such as the EU. ‘China is the world’s largest investor in renewable energy and has launched a war on pollution’, he says.

He admits to missing Barcelona in general and UPF and says he hopes to go back to the university one day, either as a visiting researcher or through any other arrangement, to spend a few months there. ‘I will be very happy to see my old friends there and go back to the library where I spent so much time.’

Photo gallery

Chao Zhang during his stay in Catalonia, at his place of work in China and on one of his trips