Li Yingtao holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from China. She obtained her master’s degree in international relations from the Department of War Studies at KCL. Her master's dissertation was awarded with a distinction. She started her PhD study in 2022. Currently, her PhD research is co-supervised by Dr Holger Stritzel (European and International Studies) and Dr Stephan Engelkamp (War Studies). Prior to her doctoral research, she gained professional experience working in the tech industry and for different news outlets.

Research interests:

• International relations theory at the intersection of resistance and agency.
• Critical Security Studies, particularly securitization theory to understand East Asian security.
• The role of technology companies in global governance.

Thesis 

Title: Resistance to securitization moves from East Asian tech companies.

Drawing on literature on securitization theory and agenda politics, my doctoral research employs interdisciplinary methods to understand resistance to state orders in the technology sector. Empirically, it investigates how tech companies build their networks connecting human and non-human agents to resist securitization moves claimed or enacted by states.

Supervisors:

• Dr Holger Stritzel
• Dr Stephan Engelkamp