We welcome today Rong Huang to the Platform, who joins us as a Visiting Fellow in the Narrative Practices Lab and as an Editor at The Polyphony for its ‘Polyphony Meets China’ initiative. She is an Assistant Professor at the Centre for Narrative Medicine, Peking University Health Science Centre, with research interests in narrative medicine, contemporary English literature and life writing. During her Fellowship, Rong will be working to develop new research collaborations in Narrative Practices in Health and Digital Storytelling, while also identifying wider opportunities to grow the partnership between IMH and Peeking University.
- If your research was a film, what would the title be?
Probably ‘Journey to the West.’ My research aims to bridge the gap between medicine and humanities, similar to the task of bringing exotic scrolls back home. The journey is fraught with trials and misunderstandings, but ultimately, it’s about vision-building and effective execution. Another key element in this endeavour is teamwork. I believe that health humanities require strong collaborative efforts to fulfil its promises towards better care.
- What will you be doing during your Visiting Fellowship?
I see myself as an envoy, facilitating the exchange of insights and advancements in health humanities between China and the wider world. More specifically, I want to observe and develop on-site health humanities practices. This includes exploring how health humanities are taught in classrooms, practiced within healthcare settings, and communicated through public platforms. I’m particularly interested in the practical applications and ethical implications of health humanities.
- What expertise and experiences will you be drawing on during the fellowship?
Mostly I rely on my training in the humanities and my experience of working with healthcare professionals. My humanities background has honed my critical eyes, while my interactions with healthcare practitioners remind me to channel that critical perspective into constructive initiatives aimed at improving current healthcare practices and understandings.
- Why are you excited about working in The Platform?
The Platform brings together scholars and practitioners from diverse disciplines and from all over the world. I look forward to working with the wonderful people here to foster communication and collaboration. I’m particularly excited about the Polyphony Meets China (PMC) project. I used to be a reader of the PMC, and I’ve never thought that I would be a guest editor for it. I hope to contribute quality content that would interest the Platform’s wide readership.
- What changes would you like to see as a result of your research?
I’d like to see my research to inspire confidence in and enthusiasm for health humanities. One common question for health humanities researchers to respond regards the ‘uses’ of this discipline. The theoretically oriented part of my research looks into the history, ideas, and principles underpinning health humanities. I hope such research would contribute to the legitimacy discussion of health humanities, especially in a world where the appearance of crisis seems to increase. The practically oriented part of my research aims to translate abstract ideas into real-world healthcare settings, to improve practical outcomes. Together, I’d like to see my research produce theoretical insights and improve healthcare practice.
- What interests or hobbies do you have outside your research that might surprise people?
I’m a passionate pet lover. Beyond that, I consider myself a multi-dimensional person with various interests, such as watching animations, playing video games, and reading comics and online novels.
