Chengyao Liu

Profile

Chengyao Liu is a PhD Candidate in the School of Media and Communication at the University of Leeds, having previously completed an MA in Cultural and Creative Industries at King's College London. Her doctoral research examines professional video production on Chinese online video-sharing platforms. Combining academic and industry perspectives, her work examines platformised media production and has been published in Television & New Media, contributing critical insights into contemporary screen industries.

Chengyao has presented her research at leading international conferences and workshops, including MeCCSA, Media Industries (King’s College London), NECS, IAMCR, and the ECREA Media Industries and Cultural Production Workshop. She has also participated in the ESRC Digital Good Summer School at the University of Sheffield, engaging with theoretical, methodological, and professional development discussions surrounding the digital good.

Her professional experience includes marketing, digital media production, and project management in the cultural and creative sectors in China and the UK. She is the co-founder of Utiku Studio, an initiative promoting environmentally sustainable materials through fashion education. As part of the studio’s projects, She contributed to the production and translation of an award-winning documentary, which received the Best Green Fashion Film Award at the Fashion Film Festival Milano 2021. The project was also recognised with the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Award at the 15th Chunhui Cup Global Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition.

Chengyao served as the Postgraduate Research (PGR) Representative for the School of Media and Communication during the 2024–2025 academic year. Committed to fostering an inclusive and supportive research community, she contributed to organising the 2023 PGR Symposium and co-led the organisation of the 2025 PGR Symposium, themed (Counter)Power.

Research interests

• Creative Labour Studies
• Media, Cultural and Creative Industries
• Critical Media Industry Studies
• Media Production Studies
• Online Screen Industries and Video-Sharing Platforms in China
• Platform Studies

Qualifications

• Ph.D. Candidate, University of Leeds
• MA Cultural & Creative Industries, King's College London