Zijian Song

  • Centre of African Studies
  • School of Social and Political Science

Contact details

Biography

Background

I am currently a PhD student in African Studies at the University of Edinburgh. My interdisciplinary research investigates the agricultural and commercial practices of Chinese Farm Owners (CFOs) in Tanzania. I am dedicated to uncovering how these non-state actors navigate and adapt to the socioeconomic fabrics of East Africa through rigorous empirical inquiry. Prior to my doctoral studies, I earned my MA in Sustainable Development from the University of Sussex. During this time, I conducted a pilot study in Tanzania, surveying several Chinese private farms, which laid the groundwork for my current project. My academic journey began at De Montfort University, Leicester, where I obtained my BA in Economics. My early research interest in overlooked micro-economic actors was evident in my undergraduate dissertation, which analyzed the survival strategies and resilience of small Virtual YouTubers (Vtbs) amidst the COVID-19 lockdowns. This trajectory reflects my consistent commitment to understanding the dynamics of specific groups under broader structural shifts. I worked as a research assistant at the University of Dundee for a few months, assisting with an empirical study on Chinese small shop owners in England.

Research summary

China-Africa Agricultural Cooperation Private Sector & FDI Social Capital & Cross-cultural Adaptation East African Studies Agro-tech Transfer & Sustainability

Current research interests

My primary research interests lie at the intersection of development sociology and China-Africa relations, with a specific focus on agricultural investment and social change in the Global South. Specifically, I examine the practices of Chinese private farm owners (CFOs) in East Africa, with a focus on Tanzania. Moving beyond state-led projects, I investigate how private actors construct social capital, integrate into local markets, and navigate cross-cultural adaptation . Through fieldwork and case studies, my work aims to uncover the multidimensional socioeconomic impacts of these distinct agricultural investors on local communities and sustainability. Since the 1950s, China and Tanzania have maintained robust diplomatic ties, with scholarship and policy analysis predominantly fixated on large-scale, state-led investments such as 'Friendship Farms' and infrastructure projects like the TAZARA Railway. However, the agricultural practices of Chinese private investors following China's Reform and Opening-up in the 1980s remain critically under-researched. To address this gap, my research employs a rigorous comparative ethnographic approach, integrating participant observation and semi-structured interviews. By shifting the analytical lens from state-centric narratives to the agency of non-state actors, this study aims to provide empirical nuance that is currently absent from both academic literature and bilateral policy frameworks.

Affiliated research centres

This article was published on