Dr. Karen Leong
She is a UK-based academic researcher specialising in qualitative methodologies within cross-cultural and gender studies. Her research explores how ingrained Confucian values and Chinese identity shape women’s agency in Malaysian Chinese, embedding both independent and interdependent perceptions of self. Drawing on interpretive phenomenology and ethnography, Karen adopts a reflexive, emic–etic approach to challenge dominant Western paradigms and illuminate nuanced processes of self-construal in transnational context. Her scholarship is grounded in methodological rigour and a commitment to amplifying marginalised voices. Empirical findings reveal how emotional ties and relational priorities, often non-rational, inform women’s choices, decisions and action. In the process, Karen uncovered her own resilience and intuitive ability, offering insights into how inner guidance can support both life and scholarly inquiry. Her work contributes to broader conversations on acceptance as a transformative attribute in empowering women’s agency within gender and cultural studies across diverse and shifting landscapes.
Sessions by Dr. Karen Leong
Other Speakers
Dr. Christina Hicks-Goldston
Dr. Tayechalem Moges
Dr. Michele Ryan
Alexandra Kafka
Mariana Machado Berno
Dr Natasha Katuta Mwila
Rafia Arshad
Eleni Gelasi
Niyati Ravi
Karissa Maust
Dr. Ndamulelo Mabidi
Felitciana Zsha’ Mirzze
Dhaani Singhal
Titis Anindyajati
Mrs. Nadia Elize Van Der Walt
Mitila Suwana-adth
Dr. Heydar A. Aslanov
Rippy Das
Dr. Chafiaa Djouadi
Dr. Angela Kahil
