Zhiwei completed her PhD in 2011, under the aegis of the SIRC-Nippon Foundation Fellowship Program of Cardiff University, UK and worked at Seafarers International Research Centre (SIRC) before joining Dalian Maritime University in 2012, teaching Maritime Economics and Shipping Management. She was appointed the Director of Seafarers Research Centre in 2015 and has contributed to both the MARTHA project on seafarer fatigue and the BIMCO/ICS Manpower Reports in 2015 and 2021.
Zhiwei has also been a part-time Associate Professor at the Centre of Maritime Health and Society (CMSS) based at the University of Southern Denmark, and she has coordinated several national projects funded by Chinese government and works closely with Chinese shipping industry.
Dr Zhiwei Zhao is a Director of Seafarers Research Centre of Dalian Maritime University.