Congratulations to Dr Yan Zhang and Dr Filip Němeček, who have been awarded their DPhils in Sociology.
Before joining the Department, Yan worked as a social worker in New York City, and had roles with UNDP and UNICEF tackling poverty reduction and child protection in Laos and China.
Her DPhil thesis explores China’s Great Migration through a gendered lens.
Migration is often regarded as a prominent force in bringing social change. However, there is a lack of comprehensive research on the intersectionality of migration and gender in the Chinese context.
Comprising three empirical studies, the dissertation examines how gender norms are shaped by migration experiences among return migrants, the relationship between fathers’ presence and stay-behind children’s emotional well-being, and the influence of parental migration and household gender dynamics on children’s participation in caregiving and domestic work.
The findings contribute to understanding the complex interplay between migration, gender, and family roles in a rapidly changing social landscape.
Yan said:
For prospective students, I hope you truly enjoy your time here, both in your research and as part of the academic community.
Embarking on a DPhil is an exciting and challenging journey. It’s normal to face obstacles along the way, but you do not need to do it alone – reach out to your supervisors, classmates, postdocs, and professors in the Department as well as in your college for support and guidance.
And, of course, don’t forget to take the time to enjoy all that Oxford has to offer – it’s a unique and inspiring place to pursue your studies.
Yan is now working as a Research Fellow in Family Demography for Connecting Generations at the University of Southampton's Centre for Population Change.
Filip Němeček's thesis investigates the factors that are related to international university students’ likelihood of staying in their country of study after graduation. In particular, he looked at the role of cross-country economic differences, students’ socioeconomic background and their university experience.
As part of his research, Filip undertook one of the largest data collections in his field through two online surveys, collecting 3,702 responses from international students at 27 universities in the UK and Czech Republic.
One of Filip’s papers has now been published in the journal Population, Space and Place.
Before undertaking the DPhil, Filip obtained an MA in Economics and Geography at the University of St Andrews and an MSc in Migration Studies at the University of Oxford.
Reflecting on his DPhil experience, Filip says:
Undertaking a large independent research project was often very challenging, but overcoming these challenges and contributing to knowledge creation was extremely meaningful and rewarding.
My advice for future DPhil students is to establish a regular working routine and also make use of everything that Oxford has to offer, in particular getting to know the amazing people who study and work here.
We wish Yan and Filip every success in their future careers and look forward to following their accomplishments.
