GAI Yijun
盖怡君

Yijun is a visiting fellow in the Harvard-Yenching Institute’s “STS in Asia” training program. She is currently a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Hong Kong and Southern University of Science and Technology, affiliated with their interdisciplinary Humanities and Social Sciences Institutions. Her doctoral thesis, tentatively titled “Negotiating a Path to Green Prosperity: The Chinese State, Society, and the Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Landscape (1980s–Present),” examines the political, social, and environmental dimensions of solar energy development in China. Through extensive fieldwork on the different life stages of solar PV technology, she explores the role of solar PV technology in shaping the Anthropocene narrative, China’s eco-developmental goals, and the social and economic lives of local communities.

With an education background (B.A. and M.A.Sc.) in environmental engineering from the University of Toronto, Yijun has published research articles in academic journals on environmental policies and renewable energy technologies. She also has several years of working and volunteering experience with environmental NGOs in Canada and China, where she has initiated various public engagement and policy advocacy activities.