Manya Koetse

Sinologist & China Social Trend Watcher

What is happening in China, and what does it tell us about the world of tomorrow? Sinologist and China expert Manya Koetse has been closely following the digital culture, social media, and societal trends of China for over twelve years. From viral online phenomena to AI developments and shifting societal debates: she looks beyond the hype and reveals what these developments say about Chinese society and why they are internationally relevant. With her sharp analyses and in-depth cultural knowledge, she makes a complex, rapidly changing digital world understandable and insightful.

Employability:: Keynote speaker, Moderator, Webinar
Languages:: Chinese, Dutch, English
Categories:: Asia

Future and Trends

Global & International

Media

Trends

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About Manya Koetse

Manya Koetse is a sinologist, writer, speaker, and China Social Trend & Media Analyst. She helps organisations, companies, and strategy teams to better understand China’s digital culture, online media landscape, and societal trends—and to grasp what these developments mean for the rest of the world.

In 2013, she founded What’s on Weibo, an international platform that became known for its in-depth analysis of Chinese social media and online culture. Today, she publishes Eye on Digital China, her internationally well-read newsletter about the stories, trends, debates, and shifts shaping the Chinese digital society. She translates developments on Chinese social media into relevant insights for media, technology, retail, and policy sectors, among others.

Manya studied Sinology and Japanology at Leiden University and also studied at the National University of Singapore and Peking University. Her broad East Asian background enables her to place current digital developments in a larger historical, cultural, and societal perspective. For over twelve years, she has been monitoring and analysing Chinese platforms and online trends. By examining trending topics, AI developments, and new media forms, she not only shows what is happening in China but also why it is happening and what it reveals about the society behind it.

Manya’s work is regularly cited in international media and academic research. As a China expert, she contributes to organisations such as NOS, BBC, and CNN.

In addition to keynotes and public lectures, she provides private briefings, workshops, and consultancy sessions for a diverse range of audiences, from large conferences to small boardrooms. In her lectures and sessions, Manya takes her audience behind the scenes of China’s online world. Using current and recognisable examples, she demonstrates how digital culture, societal changes, technology, and China’s international influence are interconnected. Every lecture, briefing, or workshop can be tailored to the sector, audience, and current questions of the client.

Topics

1. Behind the Scenes of China's New Media Landscape: Chinese Social Media Ecosystems, Digital Culture, and Public Debate
2. Brands, retail, and consumer culture in China
3. Technology, platforms, and artificial intelligence: China's development into a global digital power
4. China's Growing Influence through Platforms and Pop Culture
5. Digitalisation, privacy and surveillance in China
6. Digital propaganda, censorship, nationalism and political communication
7. China's young generations: ambitions, social pressure and digital subcultures