Designed for BC communication students, Dr. Zhou’s remarks addressed a very timely and globally significant issue. A native of China, she spoke about living under a government that controls media, from television to the Internet. In fact, she said, the stark comparison between media in China and the United States inspired her to come to Drake University for the 2009-10 academic year as part of the visiting Fulbright Scholar program.
In China, Dr. Zhou is a professor of sociology at Nanjing University. She received her doctorate in mass communication from the University of Alabama and a master’s degree in journalism and bachelor’s degree in Chinese linguistics and literature from Nanjing. Her research specialties are mass media and society.
Dr. Zhou’s visit to the area was funded by the Fulbright Occasional Lecturer Program, which also relies on the willingness of host institutions of Fulbright Scholars in Residence to share their scholars with other US institutions of higher education. The Fulbright Scholars in Residence Program is funded by the US Department of State and managed by the Council of International Exchange of Scholars, a subsidiary of the New York-based Institute for International Education.
Her visit to Bluefield received partial financial assistance from the West Virginia Humanities Council, a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, and was coordinated by the Bluefield State College Office of International Initiatives.