Dr Ying Zhao | University of Chester

Lecturer

Dr Ying Zhao, BA, MA, MBA, PhD

Ying is a Lecturer in Business Management and has a Doctorate in Entrepreneurship. She specialises in understanding reward-based crowdfunding as a source for starts-ups in the context of Alternative Finance. Her teaching is focused on entrepreneurship and management. Her goal is to deliver outstanding academic and personal support to students from diverse backgrounds.

Ying holds a BA in Accounting and Finance, an MA in International Financial Analysis, both from Newcastle University, an MBA in Global Financial Services from Coventry University, and a PhD in Entrepreneurship from the University of Chester. She is also an Association of Chartered Certified Accountants candidate and has previously worked in financial consultancy businesses. Her research interests relate to crowdfunding and venture capital in entrepreneurial finance, entrepreneurial education, and cross-cultural management in these disciplines. She is actively involved in teaching a range of modules on entrepreneurship and management at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, aiming to provide outstanding academic and personal support to her students.

Dr. Ying Zhao has a broad teaching portfolio, serving as a module tutor and leader across various levels. She has taught Essentials of Entrepreneurship at Level 4, led Strategic Management at Level 6, and Managing Finance in Healthcare at Level 7, showcasing her expertise in both general business principles and specific healthcare management. Additionally, she's been involved in teaching International Business and Managing Innovation at Level 7. Beyond her module responsibilities, Dr. Zhao actively supervises PhD, postgraduate, and undergraduate dissertations, guiding students through complex research projects.

Dr. Ying Zhao's research interests are organized into distinct yet complementary areas, focusing primarily on the nexus between entrepreneurial finance and educational innovation. Her work in the field of entrepreneurial finance is centred around crowdfunding, where she examines its efficacy for startups and SMEs, alongside its pivotal role in fostering social enterprises. This includes a detailed look at the strategies and outcomes of various crowdfunding models, particularly reward-based crowdfunding, and their contributions to social innovation. Parallel to this, Zhao's interest in the integration of artificial intelligence within business education explores how AI can revolutionise teaching methods and enhance student learning outcomes, focusing on both cognitive and non-cognitive skill development across diverse cultural settings. This dual focus aims to provide comprehensive insights into the evolving landscapes of entrepreneurship and educational methodologies in the digital age.

Journal & Book Chapters

Zhao, Y., Harris, P., & Lam, W. (2019). Crowdfunding industry—History, development, policies, and potential issues. Journal of Public Affairs, 19(1), e1921.

Zhao, Y. (2020) ‘Crowdfunding’, in Harris, P. et al. (eds) The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Interest Groups, Lobbying and Public Affairs. Cham: Springer International Publishing. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-13895-0.

Book Review & Industry Report

Lam W., Harris P., Sidsaph H., Wang D., Zhao Y., & Yang S., (2018) Internationalisation, Sustainability and Key Challenges Facing SMEs: A Comparative Study of the UK and China; 51 pages; University of Chester & West Cheshire & North Wales Chamber of Commerce. ISBN: 978-1-910481-03-5.

Harris, P. and Zhao, Y. (2017) Think Through China by Jerusha McCormack John G. Blair Rowman and Littlefield, Lanham, Maryland, US. 2016 Book Review, Journal of Public Affairs.

Competitive Peer-reviewed Conferences

Arundale, K. and Zhao, Y. (2021). An investigation into the investment practices of venture capital firms in China: a comparison with Europe and USA. 2021 ISBE conference proceeding full paper, Cardiff. Forthcoming.

Zhao, Y., Lam, W. and Harris, P. (2019). Understanding Reward-based Crowdfunding as an Alternative Source of Entrepreneurial Finance – from a perspective of signalling theory. 2019 ISBE conference proceeding full paper, Newcastle.

Zhao, Y., Lam, W. and Harris, P. (2019). Understanding Reward-based Crowdfunding as an Alternative Source of Entrepreneurial Financing: Towards a Conceptual Framework Using a Signalling Theory Perspective. 2019 BAM conference proceeding, Aston University, Birmingham.

Zhao, Y., Harris, P. and Lam, W. (2018) Exploring the key drivers in Reward-based Crowdfunding for the crowd to invest in start-ups, 2018 ISBE conference proceeding, Birmingham.

Zhao, Y., Harris, P. , …Li, L (2018) The Chester Forum IX – The Marco Polo Initiative Reflections on Internationalisation, Sustainability and Key Challenges Facing SMEs: Now and post Brexit, Conference proceeding, ISSN 2632-2676.

Zhao, Y. (2018) Understanding Reward-based Crowdfunding as an Alternative Source of Entrepreneurial Financing: A comparative Study of UK and China, 2018 BAM conference proceeding, UWE, Bristol.

Harris, P., Sidsaph, H. and Zhao, Y. (2016) The Chester Forum VII - The Northern Powerhouse and Developing World-Class Competitiveness, Conference proceeding.

PhD in Entrepreneurship
MBA Global Financial Services
MA International Financial Analysis
BA Accounting and Finance