Peking University · LSE · 2026


Sovet

Researcher and media producer navigating Central Asian identity, Chinese media, and AI. Incoming MSc student at the London School of Economics. Fluent across four languages, and always curious about the fifth.

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John Sovet
Languages
Chinese
Fluent
Russian
Native
Kazakh
Native
English
Fluent
Based in / Connected to
London Shanghai
01

About Me

I grew up in Beijing, educated in a Russian-language school connected to the Russian Embassy — which meant my childhood was spent navigating between Mandarin, Russian, and Kazakh long before I understood what that meant for how I see the world.

At Peking University, I studied Communication with a focus on Advertising, while quietly pursuing everything else: IR theory, ethnographic fieldwork, and the ethics of AI-generated media. As a producer at PKU's Office of Global Communications, I helped shape Peking University's international presence across platforms. My undergraduate thesis examined the spread of deepfake videos across social media — from Kaspi Bank TikToks to suspected AI-generated political figures.

"The best stories I've found are the ones that don't translate cleanly."

In autumn 2026, I'll begin the MSc China in Comparative Perspective at the London School of Economics, in the Department of Anthropology. I'm interested in identity, migration, and the mediating role of technology between cultures.

Current Status
BA Communication (Advertising), Peking University — graduating July 2026
Next Chapter
MSc China in Comparative Perspective · LSE · 2026–27
Research Interests
AI & Media Literacy · Ethnic Identity & Migration · Central Asia · Disinformation
Press
Esquire Kazakhstan — featured for photography work capturing Beijing at age 18
Beyond Academia
Piano · Filmmaking · Photography · Books
02

Education

2026 – 2027
London School of Economics
MSc China in Comparative Perspective — Department of Anthropology
Incoming
2022 – 2026
Peking University
BA Communication (Advertising) — School of Journalism and Communication
Thesis: "Deepfake Video Dissemination on Social Media: Three Case Studies." Supervisors include Prof. 何姝. First runner-up, PKU Challenge Cup.
Graduating July 2026
Pre-2022
Russian Embassy School, Beijing
Secondary Education — Russian-language curriculum
Trilingual environment (Russian, Chinese, Kazakh) that shaped an early interest in language, translation, and cross-cultural communication.
03

Work Experience

Sep 2025 – Present
CCTV Creative Media
Intern — Beijing
Supported major productions including Perceiving Happiness: The Journey through Jilin and the SCO Film Festival (Qingdao). Coordinated media teams and on-site operations across planning, scheduling, and cross-platform workflows. Provided multilingual support (Chinese/English/Russian/Kazakh) for international journalists, including translation and logistics.
Feb 2020 – Jan 2021
CCTV-6 (China Movie Channel)
Intern — Beijing
Assisted in preparing the SCO Film Festival opening and closing ceremonies. Accompanied and supported guests from Kazakhstan. Reviewed and corrected scripts in Russian, Kazakh, and English for language and structural accuracy.
Sep 2023 – Present
Peking University — Office of Global Communications
Producer — Beijing
Pioneered PKU's international visual strategy with 14 video campaigns reaching 57.9M views and 974K engagements. Managed full production lifecycle — ideation, scripting, filming, editing, post-production — across Facebook, X, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. Awarded Outstanding Video Producer and First Prize at the 2024 PKU Student Innovation Hub.
PKU Reel — 5 things that don't make sense
Watch on Instagram
 PKU Reel — campus food
Watch on Instagram
May 2023 – Sep 2023
Embassy of Kazakhstan in China
Economic Section Assistant — Beijing
Organised events for Kazakh–Chinese business cooperation and student community programming. Participated in two SCO simulation sessions. Supported meetings with senior economic diplomats including Dr Berlin Irishev.
04

Research & Projects

Undergraduate Thesis · 2025–2026
Deepfake Dissemination on Social Media: Three Case Studies
Analysis of AI-generated video spread across social platforms, examining a Kaspi Bank TikTok deepfake, a Tokayev deepfake rap video, and suspected Netanyahu Instagram content. Applied dual-process theory, algorithmic encountering theory, and media literacy frameworks.
AI & Media Disinformation TikTok / Instagram Central Asia
PKU Challenge Cup · 2024 · First Runner-Up
The Migration Situation and Ethnic Identity of Chinese Kazakhs
Team fieldwork research based on eight days of interviews in Aksai Kazakh Autonomous County (Gansu) and Yining (Xinjiang) — two major ethnic Kazakh settlements in China. The study examined why some Chinese Kazakhs emigrate to Kazakhstan under the government's repatriation policy, while others remain, and how cross-border family networks shape dual or singular ethnic identity. Key finding: material factors like income and stability weigh more heavily than cultural pull in most migration decisions; Kazakh youth showed markedly more open, dual identities than older generations.
Ethnography Migration Ethnic Identity Fieldwork · Gansu & Xinjiang
05

Skills & Languages

Languages
Chinese (Mandarin) — Fluent
Russian — Native
English — Fluent
Kazakh — Native
Research Methods
Ethnographic fieldwork
Qualitative case study analysis
Media content analysis
Chinese academic writing
Media & Communication
Broadcast media production
Video creation & editing (DaVinci Resolve)
Photography
Cross-cultural communication
Advertising strategy
Russian–Chinese translation
Diplomatic protocol
06

Contact

I'm always open to conversations about research, collaboration, or just a good book recommendation.

Currently based in London and Shanghai, relocating to London full-time in autumn 2026 for LSE. Available for academic collaboration, research partnerships, and media projects — especially those touching on Central Asia, Chinese media, or AI ethics.

Email sovet.john@gmail.com
LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/zhanybek-sovet
Instagram instagram.com/jsovet
YouTube youtube.com/@johnsovet4372