Can a student inherit time? What difference does time make to their educational journeys and outcomes? 'The Time Inheritors' draws on nearly a decade of field research with more than one hundred youth in China to argue that intergenerational transfers of privilege of deprivation are manifested in and through time. Comparing experiences of rural-to-urban, cross-border and transnational education, Coral Lingling Xu shows how inequalities in time inheritance help drive deeply unequal mobility. With its unique focus on time, nuanced comparative analysis and sensitive ethnographic engagement, 'The Time Inheritors' opens new avenues for understanding the social mechanisms shaping the future of China and the world.
Dr Cora Lingling Xu, Associate Professor at Durham University, will be discussing her new book 'The Time Inheritors' chaired by Dr Yanran Yao, Lecturer in China, Gender, Politics & Civil Society, Lau China Institute, King’s College London.
This is an in-person event. Registration is required.
NB This is a free event, which means we overbook to allow for no-shows and avoid empty seats. While we generally do not have to turn people away, this does mean we cannot guarantee all ticket holders a place. Admission is on a first come, first served basis. Those without tickets will not be admitted.
About the speakers
Cora Lingling Xu is an Associate Professor at Durham University, UK. She is a sociologist interested in education mobilities and social inequalities. Her research examines how the intersection of class, gender, ethnicity, rural-urban divides, time and geopolitics can shape social agents' educational and life trajectories. She is an executive editor of the British Journal of Sociology of Education. Cora's research on Chinese international students and Gaokao has been featured in BBC Radio 4's documentary 'Chinese on Campus', BBC News and in South China Morning Post. Cora was a visiting scholar at the centre for International Higher Education (CIHE), Boston College, USA in Spring 2025.
Yanran Yao is a political scientist specializing in Chinese politics, civil society, and globalization at the Lau China Institute, King’s College London. Before joining the Lau China Institute as a fixed-term lecturer, she has been teaching at the University of Hong Kong as a lecturer. She has extensive publications on journals including the Contemporary Journal of China. Her current research interests include Chinese diaspora community organizations and their roles in China’s overseas operations.
Please contact lauchina@kcl.ac.uk if you have any questions or specific participatory requirements.
