About

I began my research and teaching in sociology in 1996 in the University of Aberdeen. My PhD was a comparative study on academic women’s experiences of combining academic work and family responsibilities in China and the UK.  I was a teaching assistant in the Department of Sociology, University of Aberdeen while studying my PhD. When I worked on the EU project 'Household, Work and Flexibility' which involved eight European countries, I was an associated lecturer in BA Applied Social Sciences in the University of Hertfordshire. 

My research career continued when I moved to Sheffield Hallam University working on research projects of gender and labour markets in English local authorities. Prior to the start of my academic post in sociology in 2013, I was a Senior Research Fellow in the Centre for Education and Inclusion Research and co/directed a number of research projects in the areas of trans-national education and international student mobility commissioned by external funding sources. I have been a researcher as well as a practitioner in internationalisation of higher education since 2006. Currently I am the Collaborative Course Leader for HK BA Applied Social Sciences, which is a transnational education programme provided by Sheffield Hallam University and delivered in the City University Hong Kong. My teaching responsibilities also include the module leader roles for Principles of Methodology 1: Positivist Tradition and Principles of Methodology 2: Social Constructionism which are core modules for the Master course ‘MRes Social Science Research’.

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’

I particularly welcome PhD applications in transnational education, international student mobility and higher education internationalisation.

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

Department of Psychology, Sociology and Politics

College of Social Sciences and Arts

Sociology

HK BA Applied Social Sciences

Principles of Methodology 1: Positivist Tradition

Research

• Social and Economic Research Institute

• 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., Nollent, A., Garner, I. and Wolstenholme, C. (2008) 'UK student international mobility at Sheffield Hallam University', project report submitted to the Faculty of Development and Society, Sheffield Hallam University.
• 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.

• UK-China-Hong Kong Trans-national Education Project (2007)
  https://globalhighered.files.wordpress.com/2008/04/tne-1-final-report-hk-china-01-07.pdf
• Linking outward and inward mobility: How raising the international horizons of UK students enhances the international student experience on the UK campus (2009)
  https://www4.shu.ac.uk/research/ceir/sites/ceir/files/ceir-UKCISA-case-study-SHU.pdf

Publications

Other activities

Selected publications:

• Reviewer for British Council Newton Fund/Science Research Programme grant
• Referee for ESRC research grants
• Referee for academic journals: European Societies; Gender, Work and Organisation; Current Anthropology, Leisure Studies
• Member of the selection panel and advisory group for ECU project looking at the reasons why minority ethnic academics move overseas to further their careers (2014)
• Member of the British Sociological Association

Postgraduate supervision

• Transitional Education in China
• An Early Years Leader and a Parent - the Career Ambitions and Experiences of Those 'Living a Double Life'

I welcome PhD applications in research areas of international mobility, transnational education, women and work, women in Higer Education, gender, education and employment in an International and/or comparative context.

PhD completions:

• Saudi female university students’ perspectives and expectations for future employment
• Sociological Exploration of Female Entrepreneurship in Pakistan
• Different Perspectives towards Mental Health Service in Taiwan - Exploring the possibilities
• Perspectives on curriculum and pedagogy in a private kindergarten in China
• The life histories of teacher mothers: exploring a special situation
• Stories of Female Special School Headteachers and their Experience of Headship
• Transnational Education in China: Perspectives on TNE Curriculum Design and Delivery

Current PhD supervisions:

• Private Education in China: case studies of private secondary schools
• Marketisation of Care: An Ethnographic Case Study of a Private Nursing Home in the UK
• 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