Zhihui Ding | Data Science in Marketing | Best Paper Award

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zhihui Ding | Data Science in Marketing | Best Paper Award

Associate Professor at the School of Business, Qingdao University of Technology, China

Zhihui Ding is an Associate Professor at the School of Business, Qingdao University of Technology, whose research advances the intersection of innovation management and digital transformation. With a solid academic foundation and considerable contributions to applied research, Ding has established himself in areas such as product innovation, business model innovation, and AI-enabled industrial upgrading. He has led several high-profile research projects funded by national and provincial agencies, including the Ministry of Education. In addition to publishing more than 20 scholarly articles and an academic monograph, he actively engages in interdisciplinary collaborations to address practical industrial challenges. His expertise and academic output position him as an influential voice in the business and innovation research community.

Profile

Scopus

Education

Zhihui Ding holds a PhD with a specialization in innovation management and organizational strategy. His academic training laid the groundwork for his research pursuits that focus on industrial transformation and technology-driven innovation. Throughout his educational journey, he has cultivated a deep understanding of both classical and contemporary business theories, with a special emphasis on strategic innovation models. His educational background complements his current role as a master’s supervisor, where he mentors graduate students in cutting-edge research areas, encouraging them to explore practical applications of theoretical frameworks in business and management.

Experience

With a current appointment as Associate Professor at Qingdao University of Technology, Ding has accumulated years of academic and applied experience. He is a leading researcher and educator in the School of Business, where he contributes to both curriculum development and academic research. His leadership has extended to the successful management of key research initiatives including a Humanities and Social Sciences Youth Fund project. He has also undertaken consultancy roles, such as participating in a city-level project supported by the Deputy Mayor of Qingdao that explored the integration of manufacturing with productive service industries. His academic and project-based experiences are synergistically aligned, fostering impactful contributions to both scholarship and society.

Research Interest

Zhihui Ding’s research interests lie in product innovation, innovation management, business model innovation, and artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled industrial transformation. He particularly focuses on how firms can integrate users into innovation processes, using game theory and strategy modeling to understand customer participation in innovation ecosystems. He introduced novel frameworks like the “user gatekeeper” concept to explain online innovation behaviors. His recent work addresses the transformative role of AI in industrial and educational sectors, especially regarding the development of new profit models and mass customization strategies. Ding’s research portfolio bridges theoretical rigor with applied relevance, contributing to academic advancement and real-world problem-solving.

Award

Zhihui Ding has earned recognition through numerous funded projects, particularly the Humanities and Social Sciences project under the Ministry of Education. His academic leadership has been pivotal in securing multiple grants at the provincial and municipal levels. Acknowledging his contributions, his research outcomes have been integrated into regional economic policy-making efforts, such as the Qingdao industrial development initiative. Additionally, he has been nominated for the Best Paper Award under the AI Data Scientist Awards, reflecting the academic community’s recognition of his influential and innovative publications in AI-driven research areas.

Publication

Zhihui Ding has published over 20 scholarly papers and an academic monograph. Below are selected works with their publication year.

  1. Ding, Z., Lu, Z., & Zhu, W. (2025)Evolutionary Game Analysis of Knowledge Sharing in Enterprise Sponsored Virtual Communities Considering User Characteristics,

Conclusion

Zhihui Ding stands out as a thought leader at the nexus of business innovation, strategic transformation, and digital evolution. With a research trajectory marked by intellectual originality and practical applicability, he continues to make significant academic and societal contributions. His work blends theoretical exploration with real-world relevance, particularly in China’s evolving industrial landscape. Through sustained research efforts, collaborative projects, and impactful publications, Ding remains a central figure in shaping how businesses and educational institutions adapt to and benefit from innovation and AI technologies. His ongoing pursuits promise to advance both scholarly knowledge and practical solutions for a rapidly transforming world.

Hao He | Data Science in Marketing | Best Researcher Award

Dr. Hao He | Data Science in Marketing | Best Researcher Award

Ph.D Candidate at Harbin University of Commerce, China

Hao He is a Ph.D. candidate at the School of Management, Harbin University of Commerce, China. His academic trajectory is deeply rooted in the intersection of technology and human behavior, specifically focusing on the dynamic field of Human-AI Interaction. As a rising scholar, Hao He has built a solid foundation in interdisciplinary research that bridges digital marketing, tourism management, and decision sciences. His contributions offer meaningful insights into how emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence and big data analytics, are reshaping consumer behavior, organizational decision-making, and the broader socio-economic landscape.

Profile

Google Scholar

Education

Hao He is currently pursuing his doctoral studies at Harbin University of Commerce, where he is enrolled in the School of Management. His academic training is characterized by a rigorous curriculum emphasizing analytical modeling, data science, and behavioral theories. Throughout his doctoral program, Hao He has developed expertise in both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies, enabling him to address complex, real-world problems in a methodologically sound manner. His academic focus is highly multidisciplinary, integrating theories from information systems, marketing, management science, and artificial intelligence to explore innovative solutions in contemporary business and technological contexts.

Experience

As a doctoral researcher, Hao He has engaged in multiple research projects addressing real-time and large-scale decision-making challenges in both industrial and academic environments. He has collaborated with peers and senior researchers in China and internationally, contributing to the development of robust models and frameworks for analyzing human interaction with AI technologies. His involvement extends to publishing scholarly articles, presenting at international conferences, and conducting advanced empirical studies using multi-modal data. Hao He’s academic career is further marked by his active participation in research committees and peer review panels, where he evaluates emerging work in digital transformation, AI ethics, and human-computer interaction.

Research Interest

Hao He’s primary research interests include Human-AI Interaction, Digital Marketing, Multi-Modal Big-Data Analysis, Tourism Management, and Large-Scale Group Decision-Making. His research explores the sociotechnical implications of intelligent systems and their role in shaping user experiences across various industries, especially tourism and e-commerce. He is particularly interested in how anthropomorphic features in AI systems influence user trust and emotional engagement, and how data analytics can uncover hidden consumer patterns. His approach combines machine learning, social network analysis, and behavioral science to generate practical insights for both academics and practitioners.

Award

Although still in the early stage of his academic career, Hao He has already gained recognition in the research community through several high-impact publications and conference presentations. His scholarly work has been accepted in top-tier journals such as Technological Forecasting & Social Change, Energy Economics, and Frontiers in Psychology. These achievements reflect his academic rigor and innovative thinking, which have positioned him as a promising scholar in the domains of management and information science.

Publication

Hao He has authored multiple research articles published in reputable international journals. Seven notable publications include:

  1. “What Is the Focus of Energy Supply Chain Relationship Management During Geopolitical Risks?” (Energy Economics, 2025, In-press), examines transaction cost economics in the context of global supply chain volatility.

  2. “Warmth trumps competence? Uncovering the influence of multimodal AI anthropomorphic interaction experience on intelligent service evaluation” (Technological Forecasting & Social Change, 2024), which explores how AI design elements affect consumer perceptions.

  3. “Exploring thematic influences on theme park visitors’ satisfaction” (Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 2023), provides empirical evidence on customer experience at Disneyland China.

  4. “Exploring the Over-Time Variation in Customer Concerns on Sharing Economy Services” (Journal of Global Information Management, 2023), analyzes user-generated content to track changing consumer priorities.

  5. “A Large-Scale Group Decision-Making Model Considering Expert Authority Degree and Relationship Evolution” (Group Decision & Negotiation, 2024), presents a novel model for collective decision-making in networked systems.

  6. “Engaging Tourists from City Aesthetics” (Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, 2025, In-press), utilizes computer vision and text mining to assess how urban design impacts tourism engagement.

  7. “Research on Government Subsidy Strategies for Power Batteries of New Energy Vehicles” (Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 2025, In-press), investigates policy mechanisms influencing R&D and recycling strategies. These papers are widely cited in the domains of AI-driven analytics and behavioral science, reflecting their relevance and impact.

Conclusion

Hao He stands at the forefront of a new generation of interdisciplinary researchers who are redefining how we understand and design AI systems for human-centric applications. His work has already begun to shape discussions around trust, satisfaction, and efficiency in technologically mediated environments. Through his dedication to empirical rigor and theoretical innovation, Hao He continues to contribute meaningfully to academia and industry alike. As he progresses in his doctoral journey, his future research is poised to further influence policy, practice, and innovation in the ever-evolving interface between humans and intelligent systems.