Di is a PhD candidate at the School of Education of Durham University. Within the domain of education, Di has a background in both Early Childhood Education and Drama and Theatre Education. She completed her undergraduate and postgraduate studies in Early Childhood Education at renowned universities in China and received another master’s degree with distinction in Drama and Theatre Education from the University of Warwick. Di’s research interests include children’s social and emotional development, educational equity, and arts-based learning and research (particularly in relation to drama/theatre in education).
Di’s current doctoral research focuses on how children perform gender in dramatic contexts and the relationship between gender, drama and children's life.