Meng Qu, 渠蒙 Ph.D., serves as an Associate Professor and Vice Director at the Center for Advanced Tourism Studies, Hokkaido University. He co-convenes the Small Island Cultures Research Initiative (SICRI) and is an Associate Editor of Folk, Knowledge, Place and Regional Editor for the Event Management journal. He is also on the editorial boards of Tourism Geographies, Shima, Event Management, the Journal of Marine and Island Cultures (JMIC), the Journal of Responsible Tourism Management (JRTM), and serves on the advisory board for CREATOUR International.
Between 2006 and 2015, he studied and worked as a digital artist, interactive design director, and vice president across Shanghai and Beijing, specializing in digital media art and museum design. His current research focuses on the revitalization of rural communities through international art festivals, in which he has participated as a volunteer, staff member, and researcher. These festivals include the Xucun International Art Festival (2011-2013) in China, the Setouchi Triennale (2016-2019) in Japan, and the Shiosai Art Festival (2019-2022).
Drawing from diverse working experiences and trans-disciplinary frameworks, particularly in creative/tourism geography, rural and island studies, with a focus on East Asia, his key research topics include socially engaged art festivals, relational aesthetics, creative in-migrants, sustainability, and rural revitalization. His current work centers on establishing an interdisciplinary nexus for rural revitalization by leveraging creative tourism initiatives to rejuvenate peripheral communities. He is also exploring the use of documentary film as a tool for fieldwork.