Zhang Wei is a Professor at the Institute of Curriculum and Instruction (ICI) at East China Normal University (ECNU), Shanghai, and the Executive Director of the International Center for UNESCO ASPnet. She also holds an Honorary Professorship at Aarhus University, Denmark.

Her research focuses on policy sociology, educational innovations, and comparative education. She is the Director of the Centre for International Research in Supplementary Tutoring and a member of China's Ministry of Education Expert Committee on Private Tutoring. She also chairs the Expert Committee on Materials for Tutoring and Lifelong Education.

Wei Zhang has shaped both policy and practice in national and international education, including through her fellowship with UNESCO's Global Education Monitoring Report. She also serves as a consultant for leading edtech companies. Her fieldwork spans Cambodia, Denmark, Mainland China, Hong Kong, Japan, and Myanmar.