Kaiping Zhang (Associate Professor of Political Science, Tsinghua University; HYI Visiting Scholar, 2024-25)
“The Soft Sell: New Propaganda Strategies and Affective Governance in China”
What got you interested in your research topic?
I study political science through the lens of media and society—exploring how propaganda shapes (or fails to shape) public opinion, how political discourse and grassroots deliberation influence policymaking, and how information technologies are transforming governance and the everyday experience of living. While my research focuses on contemporary China, my interests are deeply interdisciplinary, spanning political science, psychology, communication, history, and public policy. I use mixed methods—combining qualitative, quantitative, and computational approaches—to explore theoretical inquiries from multiple perspectives.
My intellectual journey, in many ways, was written into my name 开平. I was born in Zibo, Shandong, a region once governed by the ancient Qi Kingdom (齐国) before China’s unification. As one of the most powerful and culturally advanced states during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, Qi was known for its political innovations and its vibrant intellectual life. It was home to the Jixia Academy (稷下学宫), one of the earliest known centers of learning in Chinese history, where philosophers of different schools debated and shaped ideas that would influence Chinese thought for centuries. Jixia Academy flourished around the same time Aristotle founded the Lyceum in Athens (335/334 BC)—a rare moment when East and West each nurtured their own traditions of philosophical inquiry and political imagination. Growing up on this storied land, I was surrounded—consciously or not—by the echoes of an early experiment in intellectual plurality. Perhaps it is no coincidence that I have long been drawn to questions of governance, public discourse, and the power of ideas.
My grandfather, who joined the Chinese revolution in the 1940s alongside my grandmother—who organized women’s literacy groups in Ju County (莒县)—later became a propaganda official in Linyi (临沂). He was one of the few literate people in his village and known for his writing. Upon retirement, during the early years of China’s reform and opening, he named me after a line from the Song dynasty great thinker Zhang Zai (张载):
“为天地立心，为生民立命，为往圣继绝学，为万世开太平”
“To establish a heart for Heaven and Earth, to establish a life for the people, to continue the lost teachings of the sages, and to bring peace to future generations.”
My grandfather had a profound influence on me. As a child, I didn’t always understand his conversations about international affairs or his passion for reading newspapers, but I remember being captivated by the smell of books lining his shelves. I was the only one in the family he allowed to read his diaries—a gesture that quietly planted the seed of my love for knowledge and inquiry.
As I grew older, I developed a deep curiosity about literature, history, political thought, and the role of Chinese intellectuals. These interests shaped my academic path in college and led to a long-held aspiration: the Harvard-Yenching Institute. Fifteen years after graduating from Tsinghua as an undergraduate—and after earning tenure there—I finally returned to that dream.
I still remember standing in the seminar room at the Institute, reading the couplet hanging on the wall:
文明新旧能相益，心理东西本自同
“Civilizations old and new enrich one another; cultures of the East and West share the same spirit.”
In that moment, I knew this precious journey at the Harvard-Yenching Institute was more than a transformative professional milestone. It was a return—to the questions that first stirred my imagination, to the ideals I held as a young girl, and to the person I have always aspired to become. It was not just about shaping the next chapter of my academic life, but about reconnecting with the intellectual roots that brought me all the way here.
Outside of work, where can we find you?
Cambridge is, so far, my favorite town I’ve ever lived in—even more than Palo Alto, where I spent six years pursuing my PhD at Stanford and later working as a research associate (though I’ll admit, the weather here still takes some getting used to!). What draws me most to Cambridge is its vibrant culture, rich community life, and the way history is woven seamlessly into its architecture and daily rhythms. It’s truly a wonderful city to live in.
I love walking along the beautiful Charles River. No matter how many times I pass it, I’m still astonished by its quiet grandeur. I’ve also come to enjoy the sports culture—watching Harvard football and hockey games, cheering on the Boston Celtics and Red Sox—with my son, who brings even more joy to those moments.
The museums and theaters here are another source of inspiration: the Harvard Art Museums, the Museum of Science, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the Boston Opera House, and the Boston Symphony Hall are all places I return to again and again.
I also find healing, inspiration, and a sense of quiet joy in the natural beauty of New England. Whether walking through the woods in the Arnold Arboretum or wandering by Walden Pond, I feel the quiet wisdom of trees—a presence that deeply resonates with my own philosophy of life. On one of the Harvard-Yenching Institute’s organized trips to Concord, I encountered the writings of Henry David Thoreau about Walden Pond, where he famously wrote of his desire “to live deliberately.” That line—“to live deliberately”—has stayed with me ever since, capturing something essential about my journey this year: to pause, reflect, and live with presence.
And as a foodie, I have to say: I absolutely love the seafood here!
In many ways, I was—quite happily—lost in Cambridge.
What would you want to do most as a career if you were not in academia?
If I weren’t in academia, I would be a freelance writer! In fact, I studied journalism as an undergraduate, and my love for writing goes all the way back to my teenager years. I once dreamed of studying Chinese literature at Peking University, but my high school Chinese teacher gently nudged me toward something “more practical” and job-secure. So I chose journalism, and later found myself on a long path long and winding path of disciplinary shifts—eventually becoming a social scientist through training in communication studies.
Still, the desire to write has never left me—not just academic articles or data-driven analyses, but to write freely, creatively, and reflectively. Perhaps one day, I’ll return to that original dream. For now, as a mother and scholar, I might have to wait a little longer—but the longing remains.
Read Prof. Zhang’s bio on our website!