The Asia Education Leader Course (AELC) kicked off the Summer 2025 Pre-Study Series with an invigorating lecture by Dr. Hongyang Zhu of Nanjing Normal University titled Phenomenological Exploration of Educational Policy: Unpacking the Lived Experiences of Student Academic Burden. The lecture was attended by over 40 student participants from four AELC partner institutions.

While the goals and intentions of educational policy aim to improve the learning and wellbeing of students, the lived realities of these policies do not always align with the original intent. In his lecture, Dr. Zhu examined the disconnects between the recent Double Reduction Policy in China and the lived experiences of students under the policy. A theoretical structure drawing on concepts of the lifeworld, bodily inscription, and policy topographies enabled rich insight into how students not only perceive but also embody the policy in their daily lives, leading to reinterpretations of their realities.

Participants were then asked to design their own culturally-responsive data collection protocol addressing parental consent dynamics in collectivist communities and mitigating risks of stigmatization in small-town schools. After small group discussions, participants shared their thoughts and ideas, including classic ethics considerations such as informed consent and ethics boards, community-based solutions such as volunteer researcher-community liaisons, and innovative ideas such as AI-based training models to reduce stigma.

The AELC Secretariat would like to thank Dr. Zhu and all participants for the stimulating lecture and discussion.