The flux of power: Chinese doctoral students’ research project participation

Research projects serve as an important form of academic training for doctoral students and constitute a micro-level context that embodies supervisor-student dynamics. This study explores the power dynamics within research projects based on interviews with 40 doctoral students in China. The findings indicate that power dynamics within research projects constitute an evolving process, with distinct formative foundations and structural characteristics across different stages. While prior research often frames power dynamics as inherently unequal, this study identifies how repressive and empowering aspects coexist, variably affecting students’ research autonomy and supervisory relationships. This study details the complexity and diversity of power dynamics in research project participation and reveals how both supervisors and doctoral students strive to negotiate power balance. It advocates a dialectical perspective on research project participation and calls for strengthened institutional oversight of supervisory authority and enhanced moral self-discipline, thereby fostering a healthier supervisor-student relationship and realizing the formative value of project-based academic training.