“With Weitian and other ‘Advanced Practices’ fellows, we have quite different research interests, approaches, and stages of research. Some fellows are working on avant-garde magazine studies or how to decolonise museums, amongst other topics. But no matter what your research interests or practices are, being part of the ‘Advanced Practices’ community challenges you to critically rethink your approach and the credibility of your work. Instead of simply regurgitating the traditional, institutionalised way of doing research – which often involves identifying research gaps and contextualising your work – you'll be encouraged to explore new perspectives and ways of thinking.”

Rewatch our Live Zoom Q&A with PhD Scholars Weitian Liu and Yuhang Zhang, speaking about the ‘Advanced Practices’ PhD Programme in conversation with Deputy Director Michèle Ruo Yi Landolt. Weitian and Yuhang share their respective experiences as second year and first year Scholars, what ‘Advanced Practices’ entails, how they spend their time at Goldsmiths and in the city of London, as well as how they balance their research with their practice alongside their studies. Together, they answer questions about eligibility and application criteria geared towards prospective candidates who are interested in the Scholarship and wish to learn more about the programme ahead of applying.

5'40'' How our scholars engage with the programme respectively

15'30'' What does 'idea-based transdisciplinary' programme entail? The key principles and objectives of this approach

20'39'' How our scholars balance their individual projects with the requirements of the course

27'50'' The experience of living in London

36'20'' Language requirements and other criteria

48'13'' Is a curatorial background essential for applicants? 

50'46'' What kind of support do tutors and Goldsmiths provide to fellows during the programme? How do they facilitate learning and development?

57'05'' Eligibility criteria related to heritage or identity

59'30'' Online administration of the programme. How are applications processed and managed?

Application deadline for our PhD Scholarship 2024 is 6 March 2024. 

Weitian Liu is a writer and researcher from Suzhou, China. He received a BA in English from Shanghai International Studies University and an MLitt in Art History from the University of St Andrews. Between September 2018 and December 2020, he undertook the Enlight Foundation Traineeship at the University of St Andrews, where he completed an MPhil in History of Photography while cataloguing and researching the Franki Raffles Photography Collection at the University’s Special Collections. With Ziyun Huang, Weitian co-founded 

, an independent online platform for critical discussions on contemporary art in mainland China. He has previously worked on the curatorial team of 

 (2021), an exhibition at Glasgow Women’s Library. Recently, he became a member of 'A School Project', a Suzhou-based arts initiative that operates as a platform for collective learning and knowledge exchange among practitioners within the field of contemporary art.

Yuhang Zhang is a writer and researcher based in Guangzhou, China. Yuhang received a BA in Liberal Arts from Durham University and an MA in Contemporary Art Theory from Goldsmiths, University of London. With Xingyun Wang and Chu Zhou, he co-initiated Djinn Puddle, an online Theory Fiction project. From 2018 to 2022, Yuhang worked on the curatorial team of de Art Center (Beijing). He has co-curated 

 (2021), a bid winner and research-based exhibition project supported by Goethe-Institut Peking. He has contributed to

, and The First Trans—Southeast Asia Triennial research exhibition series. I: Repetition as a gesture towards deep listening

 (2021) for reviews and fiction writings.

FilmLIVE ZOOM Q&A PhD Scholars Weitian Liu and Yuhang Zhang

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LIVE ZOOM Q&A PhD Scholars Weitian Liu and Yuhang Zhang