Zhuang Han

About

Zhuang Han is a Ph.D. candidate in Development Sociology in the Department of Global Development at Cornell University. His research and teaching focus on bridging the understanding of social change, public policy, social inequality, and emerging digital economies. By examining how marginalized and middle-class youth navigate rapidly evolving labor markets, he explores themes such as precarious employment, AI-driven gig economies, and global health disparities. His dissertation sheds light on the experiences of the “Sanhe Gods”—young migrant workers in China who rely on daily-paid jobs instead of traditional factory work—revealing systemic barriers and policy gaps that affect lower-class youth.

In addition to his academic pursuits, Zhuang has contributed to several United Nations initiatives, including UNEP GEO-7, UNECA, and UNEPA, where he applies his expertise in social policy to develop strategies for sustainable development. Drawing on both quantitative and qualitative methodologies, he strives to inform evidence-based interventions that foster inclusive growth and equitable access to opportunities.

Committee

• Parfait Eloundou-Enyegue
• Sarah Giroux
• Eli Friedman

Selected Publications

• Wendy M Brunner, Zhuang Han, Sharon Tennyson, Peter C Fiduccia, Nicole Krupa. Chris Kjolhede. 2024. “Impact of Rural School-Based Health Centers on Asthma Management.” The Journal of Pediatrics.
• N. Sawadogo, H. Bassinga, AM. Ngo Bayong Ngock, Z. Han, S. Giroux and PM Eloundou-Enyegue. 2024. “Beyond Economics and Culture: A Demographic Perspective on Contraceptive Theory.” Population and Development Review.
• Zhuang Han, Claude Mbarga, Sarah Giroux and Michel Tenikue. 2023. “A Demographic Dividends across the Global South: A Comparison of Africa, Asia, and Latin America (1970–2020).” Population and Development in the 21st Century - Between the Anthropocene and Anthropocentrism. IntechOpen. 

Conference Presentations 

• Parfait Eloundou Enyegue, Zhuang Han, Sarah Giroux, Michel Tenikue, Duke Mwedzi. Demographic Change and Global Inequality: A New World Order? PAA Annual Meeting 2024
• Zhuang Han.  “The Educational Aspiration of Different Ethnic Groups in A Multicultural Borderline Area in Rural China.” ASA Annual Meeting 2022
• Zhuang Han.  “The Educational Aspiration of Different Ethnic Groups in A Multicultural Borderline Area in Rural China.” The 21st East-West Center International Graduate Student Conference
• Zhuang Han. “Chinese International Students Studying in America: A Michigan Case Study.” ASA Annual Meeting 2020 

Selected Awards and Fellowships

• 2024: Amit Bhatia ’01 Global PhD Research Scholars
• 2023: OYCF-Chow Fellowship, Overseas Young Chinese Forum
• 2023: Hu Shih Fellowship, East Asia Program, Cornell University
• 2023: Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant, Cornell University

Teaching Experience

• GDEV 2130 Introduction to Social Science Research Methods
• GDEV 1102 Introduction to Global Development 
• GDEV 2010 Population Dynamics
• GDEV 3700 & SOC 3710 Comparative Social Inequality

Ask Me About

Cat, Pour-over Coffee, Tea, Cooking, Anime, Traveling