Dr Leah Wang
- Position: Associate Professor in Intercultural Studies and Film
- Areas of expertise: Film and TV; Cultural Values on Screen; Chinese and Korean Cinema; East Asian Screen Media; Youth and Childhood on Screen, Education and Family; Social Class; Popular Culture; Intercultural Studies
- Email: L.Y.Wang@leeds.ac.uk
- Location: Michael Sadler Building
- Website: ORCID
Profile
My work centres on cultural values and meanings on screen in contemporary film and television, particularly in Chinese and Korean contexts. It considers how these are constructed and negociated in popular screen media within broader social and cultural contexts. I also work more broadly on East Asian screen media and its relationship with popular culture.
My professional experience spans the United Kingdom and Switzerland. I joined the University of Leeds in 2020 after teaching at the University of Exeter (2014-2020), and previously at the University of Nottingham (2015-2016). I received my PhD in Film and Television Studies and am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. I also contribute to the discipline nationally as Treasurer and Executive Committee Member of the British Association of Film, Television and Screen Studies.
Before entering academia, I worked between 2010 and 2014 in the creative and financial sectors in the UK and gained international professional experience in Switzerland, including experience at the United Nations and projects related to the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme.
Responsibilities
- Treasurer and Executive Committee member, British Association of Film, Television and Screen Studies
- School FYP Coordinator (2021–2024) and EDI Lead (2023–2024)
- PhD Supervisor
Research interests
My research focuses on cultural values and meanings on screen in contemporary film and television, particularly in Chinese and Korean contexts. It considers how these are constructed and negociated in popular screen media within broader social and cultural contexts.
I am also interested in how contemporary popular film and television across different cultural contexts relate to popular culture, with a focus on Chinese and East Asian screen media, including questions of youth and femininity.
I am particularly interested in:
- Cultural values and meanings in popular screen media
- Chinese and Korean film and television
- East Asian film and television across cultures
- Youth and family relationships on screen
- Education and social class in film and television
Qualifications
- PhD
- FHEA
- MA
- BA
Student education
My teaching contributes to undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in film, television, intercultural studies and research methods. It draws on my work on Chinese and Asian film and television, with a focus on cultural and intercultural values, representation and screen performance. Between 2021 and 2025, I led the School undergraduate final-year project programme and led/taught on East Asian transnational cinema.
I supervise PhD and MA/MRes dissertations on related topics and welcome enquiries from PhD applicants interested in the following and related areas:
- Cultural values and meanings in popular screen media
- Chinese and Korean film and television
- East Asian film and television across cultures
- Youth and family relationships on screen
- Education and social class in film and television
Research groups and institutes
- Cinema and Television
- Centre for World Cinemas and Digital Cultures
- Intercultural Studies