Liao Cheng

Liao Cheng is a lecturer on education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Part of her role is helping to administer the Secondary Field in Educational Studies (Ed Secondary) program at Harvard College, in which Harvard undergraduates examine education from multiple disciplinary perspectives. She teaches Ed Secondary courses and advises undergraduate students, helping to strengthen ties between HGSE and Harvard College. She also teaches and advises HGSE students.

Cheng is interested in understanding human development across cultures and its implications for education. Her research has been published in journals in psychology and education, including International Journal of Behavioral Development, Advances in Child Development and Behavior, and Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology. She has published books on the intersection of education, psychology, and philosophy in China, including What Should I Do? Facing the Inescapable Questions in Life (2022), On Dao (2021), and Something on Your Mind: An In-depth Analysis of Zen Cases (2014). She has earned several teaching awards, including the Goethals Teaching Award at Harvard College in 2018 and 2019.

Cheng earned her Ph.D. in education and Ed.M. from Harvard Graduate School of Education and her B.Sc. in psychology and biochemistry from the University of Hong Kong.