Aikedan Ainiwaer

I am Akida (Aikedan Ainiwaer), a doctoral candidate in Area Studies (China) (OSGA) at the University of Oxford researching Social Ageing. My research looks at social issues caused by the steep rise of the ageing population in China from a gender perspective. It explores the formation and the gender dynamic of cohabitation as a new “Peer-ageing” strategy in urban China by identifying the emotional value of companionship in later-life partnerships.

Before starting my DPhil, I obtained four degrees, including two Bachelor’s and two Master's degrees from Peking University and the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), which offered me a profound interdisciplinary research capability.

My broader research interests encompass gender(intersectionality), ageing, social policy, culture, and identity. Given my multi-language skills (English, Chinese, Turkic languages and a little Russian and Japanese) and diverse cultural background, I always look at things through a comparative lens. Moreover, I am enthused about researching not only China but also other regions through a multidisciplinary perspective. 
 

Supervisor: Professor Rachel Murphy

College: St Antony’s College