Dr. Troy Chen’s interdisciplinary research interests span digital and social media, the cultural and creative industries (CCIs), media and cultural policy—including copyright and privacy law—journalism, and experience design. He is widely published and recognized as an accomplished international speaker. His research has received support and recognition from numerous internal and external funding bodies, including the AHRC (UK), Newton Fund, Ministry of Higher Education (PRC), Curtin University, CityU, Tencent, Sina Weibo, Nottingham University (China and UK), and XJTLU.

His research articles appeared in prestigious journals, such as Journal of Consumer Culture, International Journal of Cultrual Policy, Ethics and Information Technology, Social Semiotics, and Global Media and China.

He has published two books, including a co-edited volume, entitled, Identity, Space, and Everyday Life in Contemporary Northeast China (Palgrave Macmillan, 2024) and a monograph, China’s music industry unplugged: Business models, copyright and social entrepreneurship in the online platform economy (Palgrave Macmillan, 2021). He is currently co-editing a new volume with Routledge entitled Chinese News Discourse in the Digital Era: Intersections of Political Communication and Translation.

Over the years, he has co-edited special issues in Chinese media and cultural studies, including a special issue on Chinese fandoms in Transformative Works and Cultures, and a special issue on the manosphere and networked misogyny in the Nature portfolio journal Humanities and Social Sciences Communications (see more, nature.com) 

His recent publications explore the intersection of digital social media, platform studies, and cultural studies. He uses both qualitative and quantitative research methods for his critical, cultural, and sociological investigations of contemporary societies. Drawing on theories in established disciplines such as philosophy, sociology, and economics and beyond, he uses grounded and ethnographic approaches to generate empirical data with depth and warmth, to inform policy and practices, and to tinker new theories. 

He has held various leadership roles, such as Senator-elect and Director of Teaching. In his Senior Tutor for Research (PGR Director) role, he has extensive experience supervising PhD students (with completion), examining, and chairing PhD vivas in areas such as Chinese media and literature, arts and music, and gender studies, at universities including City, Leeds, and Southampton, among others. However, he is not accepting PhD students at the time being as he is currently at capacity.

Before entering academia, Dr. Troy Chen (he/they) was an award-winning communication and marketing professional in international higher education, specializing in advertising, strategic communication, and marketing. He has extensive professional experience across the media, consultancy, IT, and finance industries, which has continued to inform and nurture his research.

Troy has worked for several leading institutions, including RMIT (Ho Chi Minh City), City, University of London, University of the Arts London, University of Liverpool’s China campus, and City University of Hong Kong, before rejoining the University of Nottingham. He obtained his PhD at the AHRC Centre for Digital Copyright at Nottingham University, fully funded by Nottingham’s China and UK Campuses, the AHRC, and the Newton Fund. Additionally, Troy is an alumnus of QUT’s Digital Research Methodologies summer doctoral programme.

He holds an MA in International Communications (Nottingham), a PgLaws from UCL-Queen Mary, a PGCHE from Liverpool, and a BSc in Management in e-Commerce, as well as a degree of competition from Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU).

Over the years, Troy has built a rich portfolio of publications and expert media commentaries, including numerous articles, reports, and media productions featured in leading mainstream and digital media outlets such as CNA (Central News Asia), Politico, South China Morning Post, CCTV, CETV, Xinhua News, People's Daily (Online), The Paper, China Science News, and Sina Sports.

Research highlights

Creative and Cultural Industries
My research explores the roles of digital infrastructure, platforms, algorithms, policymakers, content creators, and marketers across entertainment and news sectors—especially in audio-visual media such as music, anime, comics, games, and novels (ACGN). I conduct comparative analyses of transmedia strategies and entertainment models, highlighting the significant influence of Asian media and production practices on global consumption and marketing trends.

Consumer Culture, Identity, and Engagement
I investigate how cultural politics, gender, and intersectional identities influence consumer habits and engagement with brands. My work explores the impact of fandoms, online communities, and digital platforms in building civic engagement and brand loyalty, focusing on Gen Z, millennials, and aging populations.

Global Media, Digital Marketing, and Strategic Communication
My research examines how advertising, media production, and storytelling shape consumer behavior and brand perception in the UK and Asia-Pacific. I analyze cross-border marketing practices and how digital platforms, influencer marketing, and creator culture are redefining media and marketing strategies globally. By studying regional adaptations and co-production models, I emphasize the role of soft power in international brand campaigns, drawing on comparative and qualitative approaches to digital media collaborations.