🎓Early Academic Pursuits 

Education and Training

Merisa Skulsuthavong, PhD, born on January 22, 1985, is a Thai national whose academic trajectory reflects a deep commitment to interdisciplinary communication and media studies. She began her academic journey by earning a Bachelor of International Business from The Australian National University (ANU) in 2006, laying a foundation in global economic frameworks and strategic thinking. Her interests soon gravitated toward the cultural and creative industries, prompting her to pursue a Master of Arts in Creative & Media Enterprises at The University of Warwick in 2009. This academic shift culminated in a doctoral degree in 2016 from Cardiff University’s School of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies, with a thesis titled ‘Thainess’ and Bridal Perfection in Thai Wedding Magazines. Her early research examined cultural representation, identity politics, and commodification, signaling her enduring scholarly themes.

💼Professional Endeavors 

Academic Positions

Dr. Merisa Skulsuthavong is currently serving as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Media and Communications at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, China, since August 2020. Her teaching portfolio spans across undergraduate and postgraduate modules such as Representation, Diversity and Identity, Digital Media Law & Ethics, and Digital Ethics, among others. She actively supervises final year and MA dissertation projects and plays key departmental roles including Library Liaison Officer, IPAP Reviewer for PhD Students, and MSc Admission Officer. Previously, she was a Lecturer at Chiang Mai University (2018–2020), where she taught a broad spectrum of courses across journalism, integrated marketing communication, and intercultural communication. Earlier in her career, from 2014 to 2018, she worked as Creative & International Media Editor at DK Publishing, Thailand, managing editorial content, international rights negotiations, and marketing strategies. Her multifaceted experience in both academia and publishing highlights her dynamic approach to knowledge production and dissemination.

📚Contributions and Research Focus on Humanities and Social Sciences

Dr. Skulsuthavong’s scholarly contributions sit at the intersection of cultural studies, media representation, digital communication, and intercultural communication. Her academic publications address timely themes such as digital identity, luxury symbolism in online spaces, higher education dynamics in Southeast Asia, and digital ethics. Noteworthy among her works is the co-authored chapter “Turbulence in Thailand? The Thai Digital Civil Rights Movement” in Palgrave Macmillan’s Social Transformations series (2022), and peer-reviewed articles like “Enhancing luck in the digital age with Thai auspicious smartphone wallpapers” (2025) and “Displaying luxury on social media: Chinese university students’ perception of identity, social status, and privilege” (2025). She has been actively involved in exploring the commodification of superstition in the digital age, a subject currently being examined in her RDF project “Repackaging the Sacred”. Her current academic interests include the representation of pets on social media and the performative dimensions of online identity in Asian cultures.

🏆Accolades and Recognition 

Dr. Merisa Skulsuthavong’s academic excellence is widely acknowledged. She sits on the editorial board of Humanities and Social Sciences Communications (Nature Springer) and serves as a journal reviewer for the same. She has represented her work in numerous international conferences such as the Korean Conference on Arts & Humanities (2024), ICEPS (2024) in Phuket, and ANPOR International Conference (2019) in Chiang Mai. At Cardiff University, her early research into Thai bridal imagery earned her a spot in the Images of Research Competition (2015), showcasing her ability to communicate complex ideas visually and academically.

🌍 Impact and Influence 

Community Impact

Through her diverse teaching roles, publications, and research projects, Dr. Skulsuthavong has had a profound influence on how Southeast Asian media and culture are understood in global academic dialogues. Her work sheds light on Thailand’s unique socio-cultural fabric, particularly through digital media lenses. As a committed educator, she mentors students at various levels, from undergraduate theses to PhD supervision. Her collaborative work with scholars like M.J. Day and S. Du Preez has introduced critical reflections on Thai higher education, digital transformation, and identity politics, enriching both regional studies and broader communication scholarship.

🔮Legacy and Future Contributions