Wed
14
Oct
Seminars and Conferences
Cosmologies #05 TALK - Zhengli Huang
The Cosmologies series, marking the 10th anniversary of the China Room research group, continues with its fifth event, "TALK - Zhengli Huang".
The event will take place on 14 October 2026 at 3,00 pm, at Castello del Valentino.
Global China and Urban Africa: Infrastructure, Connectivity and Emergent Urbanisms. Tracing two decades of fluctuating Chinese infrastructure investment in Africa, this talk examines its changing scale and geography before turning to connectivity projects in Kenya. Through cases of Chinese-financed rail and road projects, it explores their urban impacts and how these investments contribute to emergent African urbanisms shaped by shifting global relations and local dynamics.
Speaker
Zhengli Huang, PhD, is an urban researcher and Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellow in the Interuniversity Department of Regional and Urban Studies and Planning (DIST) at Politecnico di Torino. Prior to joining Politecnico di Torino, she was a Research Associate at the Urban Institute, University of Sheffield, working on projects examining global infrastructure corridors and China’s role in low-carbon transitions. Her research over the past decade has examined Chinese-financed infrastructure, urban development and territorial transformation across African cities, with extensive fieldwork in East and Southern Africa.
Introduced by Giorgia Greco (DAD) and Francesca Governa (DIST) in dialogue with Emanuele Sciuva (DIST).
The talk will be held in English and will be available online at the following link.
Further details can be found in the attached poster and at this link.
The event will take place on 14 October 2026 at 3,00 pm, at Castello del Valentino.
Global China and Urban Africa: Infrastructure, Connectivity and Emergent Urbanisms. Tracing two decades of fluctuating Chinese infrastructure investment in Africa, this talk examines its changing scale and geography before turning to connectivity projects in Kenya. Through cases of Chinese-financed rail and road projects, it explores their urban impacts and how these investments contribute to emergent African urbanisms shaped by shifting global relations and local dynamics.
Speaker
Zhengli Huang, PhD, is an urban researcher and Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellow in the Interuniversity Department of Regional and Urban Studies and Planning (DIST) at Politecnico di Torino. Prior to joining Politecnico di Torino, she was a Research Associate at the Urban Institute, University of Sheffield, working on projects examining global infrastructure corridors and China’s role in low-carbon transitions. Her research over the past decade has examined Chinese-financed infrastructure, urban development and territorial transformation across African cities, with extensive fieldwork in East and Southern Africa.
Introduced by Giorgia Greco (DAD) and Francesca Governa (DIST) in dialogue with Emanuele Sciuva (DIST).
The talk will be held in English and will be available online at the following link.
Further details can be found in the attached poster and at this link.
14 October 2026 - at 3,00 pm
Castello del Valentino - Viale Mattioli 39, Torino