Xiangdong Chen is a PhD candidate in the Department of International Studies at Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, supervised by Dr. Alessandra Cappelletti (XJTLU),  Prof. Ekaterina Balabanova (University of Liverpool), Prof. Ji You (XJTLU), and Dr. Evangelos Fanoulis (University of Galway). His doctoral project focuses on the EU’s digital public diplomacy in China during the Covid-19 pandemic, analyzing the practice, nature, and strategy of the EU’s digital public diplomacy from a processual perspective. Drawing on post-structuralist IR theory and discourse analysis, his research demonstrates how the EU communicates values, constructs solidarity, and legitimates policy through social media. His broader research interests include the EU’s foreign policy in Asia, global health governance, and social media discourse.

INS411 International Management and Global Institutions (TA)

INS414 Advanced Research Methods for International Business (TA)

INS408 Advanced Research Methods for International Relations(TA)

INS201 Managing the World: the Role of International Institutions (TA)

INS105 Regional Integration: The Case of Europe (TA)

INS101 Contemporary International Relations (TA)

July 2025, HSS PhD Research Excellence Award

March 2025, The Excellent Oral Presentation Award of the First XJTLU-UoL-XJTU Postgraduate Research Joint Conference 2025

December 2022, The Best Oral Presentation Award of the 2022 XJTLU Postgraduate Research Symposium

September 2022, The Best Paper Award of the ICEMBDA Conference 2022

2022-2025, XJTLU Postgraduate Research Scholarship

2020-2022, XJTLU Scholarship for Postgraduate Study