Professor Zhu specializes in comparative politics with a research focus on corruption and anticorruption, elite politics, and public opinion in China. Her pioneering research on (anti)corruption has reshaped understanding of governance in authoritarian regimes. Moving beyond state-centered frameworks, her work uses corruption as a lens to reveal the deeper logic of opaque political systems, public perceptions, and the paradoxes linking corruption, economic growth, and state capacity. Over two decades, she has published extensively in top-tier journals such as American Journal of Political Science, Comparative Political Studies, Public Administration Review, and Governance, earning global recognition and frequent citations across disciplines. Her forthcoming monograph will be published by Cambridge University Press.

Professor Zhu’s scholarship informs policy and practice worldwide. As a recognized expert, she engages with governments, NGOs (e.g., UNODC, IALA), the media, and the public, delivering keynote addresses at high-profile forums in Singapore, Beijing, and Shanghai and advising on strategic leadership programs for senior officials abroad. An influential academic leader, she serves as editor of the Journal of Chinese Political Science, sits on major editorial boards and the Internationalization Committee of the Society of Political Methodology, organizes international conferences, and reviews research grants internationally.

At the University of Hong Kong, Professor Zhu coordinates flagship programs, advances curriculum innovation, and mentors students who go on to prestigious careers. Her research has received the HKU Outstanding Research Award. She also won the Social Science Outstanding Supervisor Award and Outstanding E-Learning Award for her dedication to nurturing the next generation of scholars and teaching excellence.