IBSS Scholar Contributes to Cambridge-Harvard Green Research

Dr Haili Wu, Associate Professor of Practice in Economics at the International Business School Suzhou (IBSS), part of  Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU), has contributed a chapter as the sole author in a new book co-edited by Professor Lucia A. Reisch of the University of Cambridge and Professor Cass R. Sunstein of Harvard University. The book, the Elgar Companion to Consumer Behaviour and the Sustainable Development Goals, has been published by the internationally renowned academic publisher, Edward Elgar Publishing.

In March last year, Dr Wu was invited by the editors to contribute to this volume, collaborating with sustainability experts from different countries worldwide on the year-long project. Professor Alan Mathios of Cornell University, USA, authored the foreword, noting that the book provides "an  excellent and compelling overview of various policies that can influence consumer behavior and enhance sustainability goals."

On 4 December 2024, Dr Haili Wu was invited by Sunway University in Malaysia to deliver an open academic lecture to the university's faculty and students.

As one of the few sole authors in the collection, Dr Wu's chapter, titled "Culture and Investment Decisions: How Cultural Finance May Support the United Nations" Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) emphasises the critical role of culture in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. She argues that realising the SDGs depends on human actions and behaviours, which are profoundly shaped by culture. Therefore, understanding how culture – including subcultures and other embedded cultural forms – influences consumption and investment decisions provides a vital foundation for developing more targeted sustainability policies. Integrating cultural perspectives into policy design can lead to measures that are more effective, precise, and publicly acceptable. Dr Wu's research offers new perspectives and opportunities for advancing the SDGs.

In December, she was invited by Malaysia's largest private university, Sunway University, to deliver a university-wide lecture based on her research. Sunway University's Campus with a Conscience initiative, launched in 2021, invites experts, movers & shakers, change-makers, and policymakers from higher education, NGOs, and the public and private sectors to share insights on global challenges. As an invited speaker for this series, Dr Wu's presentation was very well-received.

Professor Lucia A. Reisch

The book's co-editor, Professor Lucia A. Reisch from Cambridge University, is the Director of the El-Erian Institute of Behavioural Economics & Policy at Cambridge Judge Business School. A former senior sustainability adviser to former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, she is a lifelong member of the German National Academy of Science and Engineering and served as a contributing author to the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report.

Professor Cass R. Sunstein

The other co-editor, Professor Cass R. Sunstein, of Harvard Law School, is the founding director of the Harvard Program on Behavioural Economics and Public Policy and the most cited legal scholar in the world. In 2018, he was awarded the Holberg Prize by the Norwegian Government, often regarded the equivalent of a Nobel Prize for law and humanities. Professor Sunstein is a prolific author whose works include Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness (2008), co-authored with Nobel laureate Richard H. Thaler. He previously served as a senior advisor on sustainability to former US Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden and has received the United States Government's Distinguished Public Service Medal.

Dr Haili Wu is an Associate Professor of Practice in Economics at IBSS and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA). She holds a BA and an MA in Economics from the University of Cambridge, a Master of Laws (LLM) from Queen Mary College University of London, and a PhD in Psychology from University College London (UCL). A Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) since June 2013, she has over a decade of professional experience in the London financial sector and has substantial consultancy experience with government bodies in China and the Middle East. Her academic and professional background reflects a strong interest in interdisciplinary, cross-sectoral (bridging economics and finance theory with practice), and cross-cultural research.