Exploring Economic Phenomena: Dr. Yifei Zhang’s Journey as an Economist
Dr. Yifei Zhang is a senior lecturer in Economics at HKU Business School. He held a PhD in Economics and taught Econometrics and Chinese Economy before joining HKU Business School.
When asked about what encouraged him to become a scholar, Dr. Yifei Zhang shares that his fascination with interesting economic phenomena and his training in economics equipped him with scientific tools to explain the behavior of households and firms. He was inspired by the opportunity to analyze how they make decisions in a logical and systematic way, which ultimately led him to pursue a career in academia.
Regarding his decision to join HKU Business School, Dr. Yifei Zhang highlights that HKU Business School is the topmost business school in Asia. He emphasizes that the school offers excellent facilities and is home to the best students and colleagues. This environment provides him with the ideal opportunity to further nurture his academic pursuits and collaborate with fellow scholars and students.
Dr. Zhang’s research interests lie in the Chinese economy and international economics. His desire to comprehend the economic phenomenon occurring in China and explore the policy reform implications for households and firms motivates him to think deeply and conduct research in these areas.
His latest research focuses on examining the impact of deglobalization on corporate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices and behaviours. Additionally, this semester, he is teaching a course on the analysis of economic data, which serves as a foundation for subsequent courses in data analysis such as econometrics and economic forecasting.
He enjoys watching soccer games as a pastime, and one of his favorite teams is Barcelona. He is particularly fond of Lionel Messi.