After high school, he worked at Hunan Beizhouzi Farm, during the Cultural Revolution.
He joined the Department of Civil Engineering faculty of Hunan University in June 1986 and was promoted to professor in May 1996.
[citation needed] He became the president of Chang'an University in May 2002, and served until July 2006.
[2] Zhou was elected a fellow of the Chinese Academy of Engineering in December 2011.
[3] In December 2013, he was recruited by Central South University as an honorary professor.