Associate Professor Xin Gu is an academic leader and internationally recognised expert in cultural and creative industries (CCI) policy. Her work critically engages with the implications of digitalisation for cultural production, cultural participation, and diversity of expression. 

She is Head of Media in the School of Media, Film and Journalism at Monash University, and has served as Director of the Master of Cultural and Creative Industries since 2017. She has also been an appointed Expert to the UNESCO 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions since 2019.

Xin works at the intersection of creative economy, cultural diplomacy, and digital transformation. Her leadership in international cultural policy includes delivering strategic advice and public engagement programs for UNCTAD, the UN, the EU/UNESCO Expert Facility, and national governments across the Asia-Pacific. She has worked extensively with policymakers and civil society organisations in China, Indonesia, Japan, Thailand and Cambodia to develop place-based cultural strategies and creative sector interventions.

Research Focus and Publications

Xin’s research explores the politics of cultural policy, creative subjectivity, and the evolving dynamics of the creative economy, particularly in the Global South. Xin is the author of a global report commissioned by the International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies (IFACCA) on the social dimension of cultural work. Her recommendations were formally adopted by civil societies and governments around the world at the 9th World Summit on Arts and Culture. She is also co-author of Culture and Diplomacy in the Changing Worlds, commissioned by the Japan Foundation and the British Council.

Her recent research investigates the impact of generative AI on creative work, examining how emerging technologies are reshaping creative labour, authorship, and cultural value in the digital economy. Xin is the Special Chief Editor of Media, Creative, and Cultural Industries, Journal of Frontiers in Communication. 

Her books include:

• Cultural Work and Creative Subjectivity (Routledge, 2023)

• Red Creatives: Cultural Labour in China’s Digital Economy (University of Chicago Press, 2020)

• Re-imagining Creative Cities in Twenty-First Century Asia (Palgrave Macmillan, 2020)

Xin is Chief Investigator (CI) of several Australian Research Council funded projects including:

• When Your Face is Your ID: Public Responses to Automated Facial Recognition (ARC Discovery Project, 2020-2025)
• Urban Cultural Policy and the Changing Dynamics of Cultural Production (ARC Discovery Project, 2017-2021)

Google Scholar 

Supervision and Mentorship

Xin supervises PhD and Masters-by-Research students across topics including digital cultural policy, creative labour, and the governance of cultural industries. She enjoys working with candidates from diverse backgrounds and has extensive experience mentoring early-career researchers and industry partners. 

Industry Engagement and Policy Impact

A strong advocate for practice-led research, Xin regularly collaborates with cultural organisations, government agencies, and international bodies to shape inclusive and sustainable CCI policies. Her work bridges academic research with applied outcomes, supporting innovation in creative entrepreneurship, regional cultural development, and digital cultural governance. 

Xin has been awarded two Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) grants, including:

• Sonicbridge, which strengthens Australian soft diplomacy in the Indo-Pacific through Indigenous music cultures.

• The Australian Awards Indonesia Program, supporting market integration for MSMEs in cultural and creative industries.