Staff profile

Jia Liu joined the School of Government & International Affairs in January 2021 as General Sir Peter de la Billière doctoral fellow of H.H. Sheikh Nasser al-Mohammad al-Sabah Programme. Before embarking on her doctoral research at Durham University, Jia completed a MA in Middle Eastern Studies at Lund University, and a MA in Research Methods (International Relations) at Durham University. She also acquired a BA in Persian and a BL in Diplomacy at Beijing Foreign Studies University. Furthermore, Jia has studied in Iran and Jordan and worked in the UAE. She speaks Chinese, English, and Farsi. 

In her doctoral research, Jia investigates China’s approaches to security issues in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Yemen. She focuses on Chinese-Iranian relations in her study, exploring how China’s relationship with Iran impacts China’s policy choices in dealing with Middle Eastern security issues, particularly considering the conflicts of interest between Iran and its rivals in the Middle East. Jia’s previous research included qualitative research on a Hazara social movement in Afghanistan and quantitative analysis of China’s economic relations with the Middle East. 

• China’s Conflict Management in Afghanistan, Iraq and Yemen
• Chinese-Iranian Relations
• Role Theory
• Research Design
• Ethnic Relations in Afghanistan