About
Research Interests
Individual research Interests
Bio
I received my Ph.D. in Adult Education and Community Development from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), University of Toronto. Before joining the Department of Educational Studies at UBC, I served as a tenure-track Assistant Professor in Adult Education at Texas State University, a Research Assistant Professor at Lingnan University in Hong Kong, and a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of British Columbia.
My research explores how learning is socially organized across diverse institutional and community contexts. Situated within the field of adult education, I examine learning in relation to migration, women and gender, intercultural communication, health professions education, aging, and community development. My current work also explores the role of lifelong learning in promoting biodiversity conservation and environmental sustainability through community-based educational initiatives.
I have taught graduate and doctoral-level courses in adult education, program planning and evaluation, research methodologies, and intercultural communication across Canada, the United States, and Hong Kong. My teaching emphasizes critical thinking, reflective learning, and the integration of theory and practice. I enjoy creating collaborative learning environments that encourage students to engage with contemporary issues through community-based inquiry and interdisciplinary perspectives.
Research and Education
Research Projects
Selected Publications
Selected Publications
Zhu, Y. (2023). Transforming adult education through critical feminist theory. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education.
Zhu, Y. (2020). Learning to become a good mother: Migrant mothers as adult learners. Adult Education Quarterly. https://doi.org/10.1177/0741713620921179
Zhu, Y. (2020). Transnationalizing lifelong learning: Taking the standpoint of Chinese immigrant mothers. Globalisation, Societies and Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/14767724.2020.1762168
Zhu, Y., & Zhang, W. (2019). Active learning for active ageing: Chinese senior immigrants’ lifelong learning in Canada. Educational Gerontology, 45(8), 506–518.
Zhu, Y. (2019). Can participatory action research empower participants in adult educational studies? Canadian Journal for the Study of Adult Education, 31(1), 63–73.
EDST Activity
Courses taught