After graduating from the Jiangnan Higher School, he arrived in the United States in 1910 at the age of 18 to begin his education at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.

[citation needed] He returned to China after graduation and worked as an engineer in a construction company under the recommendation of Shi Liangcai, the chief editor of Shen Bao.

After a short period (1927–1928) of teaching students at National Central University, he went to the Academia Sinica, where he served as director of Institute of Engineering.

[citation needed] In 1966, Mao Zedong launched the ten-year Cultural Revolution, Zhou suffered political persecution in the massive socialist movement, the Red Guards searched his house and confiscated his property.

[citation needed] Zhou married Nie Qibi (聂其璧; 1901–1990), the youngest daughter of Nie Jigui (聂辑椝; 1855–1911), an official and the son-in-law of Qing dynasty statesman, military general, and Confucian scholar Zeng Guofan (1811–1872).