Yue Qian

I am a Professor of Sociology at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. My research examines how gender, family, work, and demographic processes (such as migration and fertility) shape inequality and well-being, particularly in East Asia and North America. I explore these topics against the backdrop of three prominent social changes: the rise of women in education, digitalization, and social crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. My longstanding work investigates the causes and consequences of assortative mating (who partners with whom) as women outpace men in educational attainment. My current research examines how digital technologies, from dating apps to fintech and AI, are reshaping partner search, gender dynamics, and family life. My pandemic research began in China and expanded into international collaborations examining the pandemic’s unequal social and mental health impacts, as well as the far-reaching implications of disrupted work and family life for gender inequality.

I have published over 80 articles in leading journals such as Nature Human Behaviour, PNAS, American Sociological Review, and Journal of Marriage and Family, and delivered over 50 invited talks across North America, Asia, and Europe.

My research has been featured by more than 100 media outlets, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Economist, and cited in policy publications from the United Nations, World Bank, and World Health Organization, among others.

I received my PhD and MA in Sociology from The Ohio State University and my BA in Demography from Renmin University of China. Before joining CUHK, I was at the University of British Columbia, where I advanced through the ranks to Full Professor. Outside academia, I practice yoga to stay grounded, enjoy contrast therapy for deep relaxation, and turn to snowboarding and windsurfing for moments of awe and moving meditation in nature.