She received her Ph.D. in higher education administration from Boston College in May 2009, where her dissertation research focused on the scholarly networks of the diaspora of Chinese academics. Hong earned both her master’s degree (in economics of education) and her bachelor’s degree (in business administration) from Peking University. During her doctoral studies, Hong served as a graduate assistant for the Center for International Higher Education and the Boston College Institutional Review Board. She is also a former staff member of the President’s Office of Peking University. Hong’s academic interests include international higher education, the academic profession, and student development.