Celebrating our colleagues: Dr Yanyan Hong
With mortar boards duly tossed and September graduations behind us, conferrals are now open for our last ever University of Adelaide ceremony round in March. Staff are asked to encourage eligible students to complete all required steps by 25 November, under condensed timelines, ready to cross the Bonython Hall stage and receive their testamur in early 2026.
Staff News spoke to newly conferred PhD graduate Dr Yanyan Hong, who has earned a Dean’s Commendation, about her rewarding academic journey with us, her passion for volunteering, and sources of inspiration.
Dr Yanyan Hong, PhD graduate.
A true Bollywood superfan, Dr Yanyan Hong, a gifted University of Adelaide PhD graduate and prolific volunteer, has watched more than 1700 Indian films.
She’s delighted to share that the classic comedy-drama 3 Idiots (2009, dir. Rajkumar Hirani) changed her life as an “overworked teen student in China’’, and that her greatest inspiration is movie star and activist Aamir Khan. And while she does not speak a word of Hindi, she has been known to break into song in the language.
“Cinema is powerful,’’ she says. “As humans, we are all storytellers.’’
Yanyan is deeply invested in the ways pop culture can connect people beyond borders, a theme which informed both her master’s degree in communication for social change and most recently her doctoral thesis in our ABLE Faculty.
It was neatly summarised in her “Visualise Your Thesis’’ contest entry, titled: Bridging India and China through the power of Bollywood: ever wondered if the Panda would enjoy dancing and yoga?
“Words and ideas can change the world,’’ she says.
So, if there’s one thing she loves nearly as much as Indian cinema, it’s TED Talks. Yanyan has subtitled literally hundreds of the influential videos from English to Mandarin, making them accessible for a Chinese audience in the millions.
“It just something I started in middle school, because there were no Chinese subtitles,’’ she says, of a “labour of love’’ that evolved into an ongoing role as a TED Language Co-ordinator in 2020. “TED Talks are about ideas that are worth spreading, ideas that spark positive change.’’
It’s an endeavour that has taken her to international conferences in Vancouver and summits in Edinburgh and vindicated her determination to step outside her comfort zone, which some might call her signature move.
“I had no family, no friends and no connections here, so I was really scared,’’ Yanyan says, with a sunny smile, of her decision to come to the University of Adelaide to work with Associate Professor Peter Pugsley, an expert on Asian film, as her PhD supervisor.
Happily, it has been a hugely rewarding experience, personally and academically.
“The best part is always the people,’’ she says. “They make a place beautiful and memorable.’’
Once painfully shy, Yanyan practised until perfect ways to turn strangers into friends.
She embraced a swag of volunteer opportunities, from YouX and other campus initiatives and international student groups, through to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, Adelaide Fringe, Adelaide Film Festival and the Oz-Asia Festival.
“Being here in the Festival State is a unique opportunity,’’ she says. “I have got to know many wonderful people, and we stay in touch.’’
New mates range from local seniors – “I have learned so much from them’’ – to a young Nepalese soccer fan who travelled to Adelaide at his own expense to volunteer at the elite soccer tournament.
In her Department of English, Creative Writing and Film Studies, she has formed treasured and inspirational connections with Professor Pugsley and her supportive co-supervisor Professor Ben McCann, as well as fellow students and colleagues, while working as a course builder and casual academic.
Winner of a Dean’s Commendation, she’s excited at the prospect of the pomp and ceremony of joining the academic procession and accepting her parchment at her graduation ceremony next March, which will be one of the very last held under the University of Adelaide banner.
Asked what her greatest achievement is to date, Yanyan shakes her head, smiles and declares: “The best is yet to come!’’
Her courage to explore new horizons and extraordinary work ethic – “I always try to outwork myself’’ – bode well for the future.
The young researcher is proud of her home Hangzhou, in Southern China, recognised globally for its scientific research output, home to the 10th most Fortune Global 500 headquarters of any city in the world, and host of the 2022 Asian Games and 2016 G20 summit.
But she was powerfully drawn to the relaxed Australian lifestyle, not to mention the “wonderful weather’’ after a high school trip to Queensland.
Channelling the 3 Idiots catchphrase “chase excellence, success will follow’’ with its uplifting message to follow your heart despite others’ expectations, she persuaded her parents she should study “somewhere that makes me very happy”.
That was the University of Queensland, where her experiences as an undergraduate, “planted the seed in my heart of pursuing an academic career’’ and led Yanyan first to her master’s program and then her move to South Australia.
Coincidentally, she muses with satisfaction, it means that Professor Peter Høj’s signature will appear on all three of her testamurs. The Vice-Chancellor has been a presence through Yanyan’s entire academic journey in Australia, since presenting her with a team prize for the best “When Koala meets Panda’’ short video at UQ in 2019.
Now, as she reflects on her “dream come true” of becoming a “Doctor of Bollywood’’ and sends out job applications to find her place in the competitive world of academe, Yanyan’s personal motto is serving her well.
“Bite every opportunity while you still have teeth,’’ she grins.
“Stay positive, keep smiling, if you don’t succeed at first try again – and learn something each time so you can do better.’’
And in true Yanyan style, she asks to do a shout-out to potential future bosses and collaborators – “Please reach out!’’.
Written by: Jackie Tracy, Communications Coordinator