Faculty Profiles

Zhu, Tian
Vice President and Co-Dean;
Professor of Economics;
Santander Chair in Economics, CEIBS
Dr. Zhu Tian is Vice President and Co-Dean, Professor of Economics, and Santander Chair in Economics at CEIBS. He was the Department Chair of Economics and Decision Science between 2011 and 2016. From January 2017 to March 2025, Prof. Zhu held the position of Associate Dean and Director of EMBA Programme at CEIBS. Before joining CEIBS in 2005, Professor Zhu taught at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) for ten years. From 1994 to 1995, prior to his academic career, Professor Zhu worked as an Industry Analyst for the First Chicago Bank in the United States. Educated in China and the US, he received his BSc, MA, and PhD degrees from Tsinghua University, Peking University, and Northwestern University, respectively.
Professor Zhu is an expert on the Chinese economy and the author of Catching Up to America: Culture, Institutions, and the Rise of China (Cambridge University Press, 2021). His research articles in recent years have appeared in China Economic Review, Comparative Economic Studies, Economics of Transition, Journal of Chinese Economic and Business Studies, Journal of Corporate Finance, and Journal of Financial Intermediation. In 2017, he received a best article award, the Bergson Prize from the Association for Comparative Economic Studies. In addition to his academic research, Professor Zhu has written many op-ed articles for the Chinese and international press and online media including China Daily, Financial Times, Forbes, Guancha, The Economic Observer, and The Wall Street Journal. He is also a recipient of the CEIBS Teaching Excellence Award.
- 1995 PhD in Economics, Northwestern University, USA
- 1989 MA in Economics, Peking University, China
- 1986 BSc in Management Information System, Tsinghua University, China
- Theory of the Firm
- Culture and Economic Development
- Chinese Economy
- Managerial Economics
- Chinese Economy
2025-03-12 Prof. Zhu Tian Discusses How to Stimulate Consumption in China | CEIBS Spotlight
2024-09-24 Professor of Economics & Associate Dean Zhu Tian | CEIBS Faculty Introductions
2023-07-12 Professor Zhu Tian on resilience in his work and in the Chinese economy
2023-04-21 China’s Economic Outlook: Short-term Fluctuation and Long-term Growth
2022-01-14 The secret to China’s economic growth? It’s not what you think
2021-12-03 CEIBS Research Meets Management: Catching up to America
2025-03-05 Moves to boost private spending in China need to go further, Professor Zhu Tian tells Straits Times
2025-03-01 Professor Zhu Tian quoted by South China Morning Post on the Chinese government’s work plan for 2025
2025-01-15 China’s 2025 Economy: Can bold policies drive a turnaround?
2024-09-25 Professor Zhu Tian quoted by South China Morning Post on China’s new economic stimulus package
2024-07-20 Professor Zhu Tian discusses his hopes for China's third plenum with Singapore's Straits Times
2024-01-18 Will China’s economy rebound in 2024?
2023-12-05 New York Times quotes Professor Zhu Tian on China’s changing finance sector
2023-08-25 Can China maintain 5% growth in the coming years?
2023-06-14 Professor Zhu Tian gives his views to the Financial Times on China’s post-pandemic recovery
2023-03-23 Can China return to rapid growth in the post-pandemic world?
2022-08-18 Can the digital economy sustain China’s growth under pressure?
2022-02-14 Aligning with high-level global trade rules
2022-01-13 RCEP takes effect! What benefits will it bring to China?
2022-01-05 China in for a year of growth if covid stays under control, Professor Zhu Tian tells Globe and Mail
2021-12-22 How are Chinese companies going global?
2021-12-22 Professor Zhu Tian quoted by Bloomberg on China’s crackdown on tax-dodging influencers
2021-12-10 Prof Zhu Tian tells China Daily opening up policies a key factor in China's economic rise
2021-09-13 Major gift set to help advance supply chain and service innovation research
2020-11-05 If exports shrink, what will drive China’s growth?
2020-11-02 Prof Zhu Tian says China International Import Expo is sign of normalization
2020-08-11 China’s ability to consume will boost economic virus recovery
2020-05-20 Bloomberg: Prof Zhu Tian discusses financing of China’s tech push
2020-02-06 SRF: Prof Zhu Tian discusses the impact of the coronavirus on the Chinese economy (in German)
2020-01-07 Professor Zhu Tian on the keys to China's economic development in the coming decade
2019-12-20 Will China’s Economy Maintain Its Medium-to-High-Speed Growth in the Next Decade?