Dr. Zhang Fan's research interests lie at the intersection of culture, religion, political science, and International Relations. Her current research focuses on three major projects. The first project focuses on theoretical research on the international system from the perspective of culture and civilization, with particular attention to symbolic power in South and Southeast Asia. By tracing its evolution from Indianized polities to contemporary India under Modi, the project develops a framework for understanding how symbolic power shapes political status within the international system. The second project examines the cultural diplomacy strategy of the Modi government (since 2014), highlighting how culture and symbolic representations have become a notable new instrument in both nation-building and projecting India’s global image. The third project examines how the U.S. cultural system shapes global popular culture. Focusing on yoga, meditation, and contemporary expressions of Hinduism and Buddhism, it highlights how the U.S.’s capitalist structure, state institutions, and legal framework subtly frame popular culture and project soft power.