About

Ning began her research and teaching in sociology when she was doing her PhD ‘Academic mothers in China and the UK’. She worked as a Post-doctoral Research Fellow on an EU 5th Framework project 'Household, Work and Flexibility' which involved 8 European countries. Her research career continued when she moved to Sheffield Hallam University in 2004 working on research projects of gender and labour markets in English local authorities. Prior to the start of her academic post in sociology, she was a Senior Research Fellow in the Centre for Education and Inclusion Research and co/directed research projects in the areas of transnational education and international student mobility commissioned by external funding sources.

In addition to UG and PG teaching, I have been Director of Studies in PhD supervisions since 2008. The completed and ongoing PhD projects I have been involved in supervisions cover the following research areas:

• Gender and higher education and women and work in international and comparative contexts, such as ‘Saudi female university students’ perspectives and expectations for future employment’, ‘Sociological Exploration of Female Entrepreneurship in Pakistan’, ‘Work-family Conflicts of early-career female academics in the UK and Nigeria’, ‘Academic women in China’, ‘Female Underrepresentation in Syrian University Senior-Leadership Positions: Perceptions, Barriers, and Enablers’
• Interdisciplinary research in education and sociology, e.g. ‘Transnational Education in China: Perspectives on TNE Curriculum Design and Delivery’, ‘Private Education in China: case studies of private secondary schools’, ‘Perspectives on curriculum and pedagogy in a private kindergarten in China’, ‘The life histories of teacher mothers: exploring a special situation’ (UK), ‘Stories of Female Special School Headteachers and their Experience of Headship’ (UK) 
• Social care, e.g. ‘Marketisation of Care: An Ethnographic Case Study of a Private Nursing Home in the UK’, ‘Different Perspectives towards Mental Health Service in Taiwan - Exploring the possibilities’

Specialist areas of interest

Collaborative Course Leader, HK BA Applied Social Sciences

03/2006 The British Council: 'The UK-China-Hong Kong Trans-national Education Research Project'

04/2006 The British Council: 'Trans-national Education - UK Higher Education institutions response to increase global demand'

10/2007 Faculty of Development and Society, Sheffield Hallam University: 'UK student international mobility at Sheffield Hallam University'

10/2008 The UK Council for International Student Affairs: 'Linking outward and inward mobility: how raising the international horizons of UK students enhances the international student experience on the UK campus'

11/2009 PMI2 Connect: 'International Mobility of UK Student Grant'

12/2010 PMI2 Connect: 'International Student Mobility Grant'

Work, Employment and Globalisation

Families and Kinship: a global perspective

MRes Philosophies of Research

MRes Qualitative Research Methods

Teaching

Sheffield Institute of Social Sciences

College of Social Sciences and Arts

Sociology

HK BA ASS, Mres Social Sciences

Research

• Social and Economic Research Institute

• Research interests:
   
  • Women and work in comparative and international context
  • Gender and higher education
  • Transnational education and internationalisation of higher education
  • Philosophical issues and research methodology
   
  Selected publications:
   
  Tang, N., Nollent, A., Barley, R., Wolstenholme, C. (2009) 'Linking outward and inward mobility - how raising the international horizons of UK students enhances the international student experience on the UK campus', project report submitted to UKCISA.
   
  Bennett, C. and Tang, N. (2008) 'Tough at the Top: women's career progression an example in the local government sector', in Policy for a change: local labour markets and gender equality ed Yeandle, S., Bristol: Policy Press.
   
  Tang, N. and Nollent, A. (2007) The UK-China-Hong Kong Trans-national Education Project Report, launched on 5 July 2007, London, the British Council.
   
  Tang, N. and Cousins, C (2005) 'Working Time, Gender and Family: An East-West European Comparison', Gender, Work and Organisation, Vol. 12(6): 527-550.
   
  Tang, N. (2005) Invited book review on Mothers' Employment and Childcare Use in Britain, by G. Paull and J. Taylor with A. Duncan, Economica, The London School of Economics and Political Science.
   
  Cousins, C. and Tang, N. (2004) 'Working time and work and family conflict in the Netherlands, Sweden and the UK', Work, Employment and Society, Volume 18(3): 531-549.
   
  Tang, N. (2002) 'Interviewer and Interviewee Relationships between Women', Sociology, Volume 36(3): 703-721.

• 2006 The British Council: 'The UK-China-Hong Kong Trans-national Education Research Project'
   
  2006 The British Council: 'Trans-national Education - UK Higher Education institutions response to increase global demand'
   
  2007 Faculty of Development and Society, Sheffield Hallam University: 'UK student international mobility at Sheffield Hallam University'
   
  2008 The UK Council for International Student Affairs: 'Linking outward and inward mobility: how raising the international horizons of UK students enhances the international student experience on the UK campus'
   
  2009 PMI2 Connect: 'International Mobility of UK Student Grant'
   
  2010 PMI2 Connect: 'International Student Mobility Grant'

Publications

Other activities

Postgraduate supervision

• Doctoral researchers (current):
   
  • Private Education in China
  • Work-family Conflicts of early-career female academics in the UK and Nigeria
  • Academic women in China
  • Female Underrepresentation in Syrian University Senior-Leadership Positions: Perceptions, Barriers, and Enablers
   
  I welcome PhD applications in research areas of transnational education, international mobility, women and work, women in Higher Education, gender, education and employment in an international and/or comparative context.