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Holly Snape

British Academy Fellow, University of Glasgow
I joined the School of Social and Political Sciences as a British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow in January 2020. My main research project at the School attempts to understand the relationship between the Chinese Communist Party and the government.

Before coming to the University of Glasgow, I worked in Beijing at the School of Government, Peking University. Within the School, I was based at the Research Center for Chinese Politics, where I studied Chinese political discourse and its role in the political system.

I received my PhD from the University of Bristol, and spent several years during my doctoral studies based at, or working with scholars from, Tsinghua University's NGO Research Center. With the NGO Research Center as a base, I was able to be both actively involved in the Center's research and to undertake my own research at different types of grassroots NGOs working on issues such as migrant worker rights, HIV/AIDS, and environmental protection. I continue to be interested in "civil society" under the PRC's one-party system, but more recently have come to realise the need to bring that system's "party" into any examination of the state-society relationship.

China Crisis Series

China's new coronavirus recovery strategy explained

May 25, 2020 12:30 pm UTC| Economy Politics

When Chinese Premier Li Keqiang delivered his annual report to Chinas national legislature on May 22, his focus was firmly on COVID-19. His 55-minute speech to the annual gathering of Chinas National Peoples Congress (NPC)...

Economy

Germany’s Economic Recovery Slows as Trade Tensions and Rising Costs Weigh on Growth

Germanys economic outlook remains cautious, with a new forecast from the German Economic Institute (IW) indicating only modest improvement in 2025 as global trade falters and domestic financial pressures intensify....

Japan’s Nikkei Drops as Markets Await Key U.S. Inflation Data

Japans Nikkei 225 slid on Friday, erasing its gains for the week and diverging from mostly positive Asian markets as investors turned cautious ahead of a crucial U.S. inflation reading that could influence the Federal...

Europe Confronts Rising Competitive Pressure as China Accelerates Export-Led Growth

Europe is facing growing competitive pressure from China as Beijing intensifies its export-driven growth strategy, a shift Goldman Sachs says is reshaping the outlook for several major European industries. The bank...

Citi Sets Bullish 2026 Target for STOXX 600 as Fiscal Support and Monetary Easing Boost Outlook

Citigroup has raised its outlook for European equities, setting a 2026 year-end target of 640 for the STOXX 600 index. The forecast suggests a potential 10.5% upside from Thursdays close, reflecting growing confidence in...

Dollar Weakens Ahead of Expected Federal Reserve Rate Cut

The U.S. dollar hovered near a five-week low on Friday as global investors positioned themselves for a widely anticipated Federal Reserve rate cut next week. The greenback remained under pressure across major currencies,...

Politics

Hong Kong Faces Low Turnout in “Patriots-Only” Election Amid Public Grief After Deadly Fire

Hong Kong is bracing for a significantly low voter turnout in Sundays patriots-only Legislative Council election, as the city continues to mourn the deadliest fire it has seen in decades. The blaze, which erupted in a...

Cuba Reaffirms Anti-Drug Cooperation as Tensions Rise in the Caribbean

Cuban authorities announced that the island is intensifying its fight against narcotics trafficking in the Caribbean, emphasizing ongoing cooperation with the U.S. Coast Guard despite heightened political tensions and an...

Drones Spotted Near Zelenskiy’s Flight Path in Ireland Trigger Security Alert

An Irish naval vessel detected as many as five drones operating close to the flight path of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiys aircraft as he arrived in Ireland for a state visit, according to local media reports on...

Australia Progresses AUKUS Review as U.S. Affirms Strong Support

Australia is moving forward with the newly received United States review of the AUKUS nuclear-powered submarine partnership, signalling renewed confidence in the trilateral defence pact with the U.S. and the United...

Trump Administration Tightens H-1B Visa Vetting With New Focus on Free Speech and Censorship

The Trump administration has introduced stricter vetting measures for H-1B visa applicants, targeting professionals in highly skilled fields often recruited by major U.S. tech companies. According to an internal State...

Science

Senate Sets December 8 Vote on Trump’s NASA Nominee Jared Isaacman

The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee announced it will vote on December 8 on President Donald Trumps renewed nomination of private astronaut and tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman to lead NASA. Isaacman, known for his...

NASA Cuts Boeing Starliner Missions as SpaceX Pulls Ahead

NASA has significantly scaled back Boeings Starliner program after years of technical issues and delays, announcing that the next Starliner mission to the International Space Station (ISS) will fly without astronauts. The...

Blue Origin’s New Glenn Achieves Breakthrough Success With First NASA Mission

Blue Origins massive New Glenn rocket marked a major milestone as it completed its first mission for paying customers, sending two NASA satellites toward Mars and successfully landing its reusable booster at sea. The...

Cogent Biosciences Soars 120% on Breakthrough Phase 3 Results for Bezuclastinib in GIST Treatment

Cogent Biosciences (NASDAQ: COGT) shares skyrocketed over 120% after the biotech company announced groundbreaking results from its Phase 3 PEAK trial evaluating bezuclastinib in combination with sunitinib for patients with...

Trump and Merck KGaA Partner to Slash IVF Drug Costs and Expand Fertility Coverage

U.S. President Donald Trump and German pharmaceutical company Merck KGaA have announced a groundbreaking deal aimed at lowering the cost of in-vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments while boosting access to fertility care in...

Technology

EU Prepares Antitrust Probe Into Meta’s AI Integration on WhatsApp

The European Commission is reportedly preparing to launch a new antitrust investigation into Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ: META) over the companys recent rollout of artificial intelligence features within WhatsApp....

Sam Altman Reportedly Explored Funding for Rocket Venture in Potential Challenge to SpaceX

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman reportedly explored raising significant capital to acquire or partner with a rocket company, a move that could have created direct competition with Elon Musks SpaceX. According to a report from the...

Wikipedia Pushes for AI Licensing Deals as Jimmy Wales Calls for Fair Compensation

Wikipedia is seeking additional licensing deals with major technology companies to address the growing financial burden caused by artificial intelligence firms heavily scraping its platform, according to co-founder Jimmy...

Firelight Launches as First XRP Staking Platform on Flare, Introduces DeFi Cover Feature

Firelight reaches 25M XRP deposit cap within hours of launch; ushers in a new era for decentralized XRP staking. A new XRP staking platform, Firelight, has officially launched on the Flare blockchain, marking the first...

OpenAI Moves to Acquire Neptune as It Expands AI Training Capabilities

OpenAI has confirmed plans to acquire Neptune, a startup known for its advanced tools that help companies track, monitor, and optimize AI model training workflows. Although the company did not release the financial details...