Among the 46 key projects funded, Dr Zhijing Zhu has secured a key project entitled “Research on what drives Zhejiang and China’s firms to create original innovations”. This is also the second key project that UNNC was awarded under the Zhejiang Soft Science Programme. The project aims to develop a multilevel theoretical framework accounting for the mechanisms that drive firms in China, and particularly in Zhejiang Province, to develop original innovations. It will inform the theoretical rationales and policies underpinning China's grand innovation-driven development strategy.
Dr Zhijing Zhu received a BSc and an MBA degree from Zhongnan University of Economics and Law (ZUEL) in China, as well as a PhD from the University of New South Wales in Australia, and joined NUBS China in 2017. Prior to her PhD, Zhijing was in charge of international accreditation and international collaboration at the MBA School of ZUEL for three years, and held middle and high-level management positions related to international business in private Chinese high-tech firms for seven years. Her research interests cover innovation, firm and industry evolution, and international strategy, etc.
Another young researcher, Dr Zhao Cai, has also secured a project entitled “Understanding the approach and mechanism of business model innovation enabled by digital technologies in Zhejiang Province”. It is also funded under the Zhejiang Soft Science Programme as a general project. His project mainly discusses business model innovation issues impacted by the digital revolution, and provides strategic ideas for companies related to using IT capabilities, transforming business models, and enhancing competitive advantages from the aspects of technology, operations, and systems.
Before joining NUBS China in 2018, Zhao received his PhD from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC). He served as a post-doctoral fellow at USTC, during which he was a visiting scholar at Copenhagen Business School in Denmark. His research interests focus on the intersection among digital supply chain management, platform competition, and sharing economy. He has already attained several innovative research outputs related to IT value creation in digital platforms.
About the Soft Science Programme
Soft science is the intersection and combination of natural science, social science, engineering technology, mathematics and philosophy. To help with the policy-making of government officials, the Soft Science Programme is designed to solve decision making, organisational and managerial problems confronted by the government at every level. The programme aims to foster harmonious development in the economy, research & technology as well as in society, by taking advantage of modern technological methods and approaches. It consists of comprehensive research activities involving multiple disciplines and areas, depending on both qualitative and quantitative analysis. Its research areas include studies on strategy, policy, planning and management, system reform, tech and legal study, economic analysis, feasibility study of key projects, and on the basic theory and methodology of soft science, etc.
The call for applications by the Provincial Soft Science Programme opens from May or June each year and the funding value varies from RMB 30k to 100k depending on the different sub-schemes.