Industry Background

Prior to entering academia, Dr. Jiyao Xun was selected for the inaugural International Graduate Programme of Tesco, the UK’s largest retailer. He worked in its Hertford head office (located north of the wider metropolitan area of London). He specialized in brand marketing, collaborating with creative and media agencies in London’s Soho district. To deepen his operational expertise, he also worked on the front lines at Tesco’s Waltham Abbey Extra store in Essex, gaining hands-on experience in retail management. 

Research & Scholarship

Driven by a passion for retail innovation, Jiyao pursued an MSc in Management Research at the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School under Prof. Jonathan Reynolds. He later completed a fully-funded PhD in Marketing at the University of Nottingham (under Prof. Prithwiraj Nath and Prof. Sally McKechnie), a globally recognized institution for its legacy in marketing.

Jiyao’s research focuses on retail technology (e.g., metaverse applications), digital marketing strategies, social media dynamics, and marketing-finance interfaces. He serves as Associate Editor of the International Review of Retail, Distribution and Consumer Research (Taylor & Francis) and has published in leading journals such as Psychology & Marketing, Internet Research, Business Strategy & the Environment, and Industrial Management & Data Systems. 

Teaching & Leadership

Jiyao teaches executive-level courses at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) and has guest-lectured at international forums. From 2014–2020, he served as Associate MBA Director (Asia) for Alliance Manchester Business School in Asia region. Since returning to China in 2012, he has built a pan-Asian network, advising governments, corporations, and industry associations on digital transformation and retail innovation.

PhD Supervision & Opportunities

Jiyao currently supervises doctoral projects on metaverse retailing and digital transformation (BI&A). He welcomes applications from prospective PhD students with interests in:

• Retail technology (e.g., VR/AR, metaverse)

• Social media and consumer behavior

• Digital transformation (Industry candidate preferred)

Applicants should submit a CV, academic transcripts, and a 1,000-word research proposal (in English) via email.

学术背景
荀继尧博士现任西交利物浦大学创业家学院副教授、博士生导师，英国高等教育学院资深会士（SFHEA）。加入学术界前，他曾入选全球三大零售集团之一英国Tesco（特易购）首届国际管理培训生项目，专注品牌营销、零售运营，积累了相关的行业国际经验。

学术成就
荀博士持有牛津大学管理学研究硕士及英国诺丁汉大学全奖管理学博士学位，师从零售与营销领域权威专家。他的研究聚焦零售科技（元宇宙场景）、数字化营销战略、社交媒体及营销-金融交叉领域，成果发表于Psychology & Marketing、Internet Research、Business Strategy & the Environment, Industrial Management & Data Systems, 《中国科学技术大学学报》，等高质量期刊。元宇宙零售论文获第十九届中国管理学年会2024年度优秀论文奖。现任International Review of Retail, Distribution and Consumer Research副主编，并长期为Industrial Management & Data Systems、Internet Research 等期刊担任评审专家。

行业与社会贡献
荀博士兼任中国仓储与配送协会专家、上海市供应链发展促进会智库专家、麦德龙（上海）顾问等职，为政企机构提供数字化转型战略咨询。2014–2020年曾任曼彻斯特商学院MBA项目副主任（亚洲区），负责区域高管课程设计与国际合作。

博士生培养与招生
现指导博士生课题包括：元宇宙零售体验、数字化转型。欢迎对上述领域感兴趣的研究生提交英文简历、研究计划摘要及代表性论文至邮箱申请。

Below is a list of current PhD students and their research projects:

1. Primary supervisor for Cheng Ma (2024 - In Progress)
   “Understanding the impact of the meta-verse on retail consumer behavior”

2. Primary supervisor for Weihan Liang (2024 - In Progress)
   “The relationship between the adoption of metaverse technology and consumer intent based on physical shopping malls”

3. Secondary supervisor for Hanlihui Ma (2023 - In Progress)
   “Investigating the effectiveness of work-based learning in terms of learner motivation, engagement, and self-regulation”

4. Primary supervisor for Xiaowei Fan (2022 - In Progress)
   “Metaverse and retail management”

5. Primary supervisor for Dongyuan Yang (2021 - In Progress)
   “Digital transformation for Chinese service firms: the role of business intelligence and analytics use on firm financial and non-financial performance”

• Retailing and technology (electronic/mobile-commerce & metaverse)
• Social media marketing
• Retail and entrepreneurship
• AI and Education (https://connect.xjtlu.edu.cn/group/aied/research)

Academic jobs held in last 10 years:

• EEH Academic, XJTLU-EC (2023- now)
• PD of BSc Supply Chain & Founding Director of Shanghai-Taicang Research Institute, IFS, XJTLU-EC (2020-23)
• Associate MBA Director (Asia Region) & PD of BSc Management (Singapore SIM), Alliance MBS (2014-20)

UG (From AY23-)

• ENT203TC Leadership & Communication
• ENT301TC Capstone Project
• ENT302TC Cutting-edge Practice in Innovation and Entrepreneurship
• Final Year Projects 

AY2020-23:

• IFB002TC Essentials of Intelligent Supply Chain
• IFB101TC Analytical Tools In Management Science
• IFB106TC Demand Forecasting & Management
• IFB110TC Fundamentals of Marketing
• IFB204TC Purchasing and Negotiation
• IFB207TC Service Management
• IFB317TC Strategic Management and Policy 

EEH summer school/ILEAD/AoFE/LM open programmes;

PhD Programmes;

• Nominated Financial Consumption Expert for Suzhou Municipal Education Bureau (March 2025).

• Supervised PhD student Cheng Ma, awarded Best Oral Presentation Award (Top 10%) at the First XJTLU-UoL-XJTU Postgraduate Research Joint Conference & 2025 XJTLU Postgraduate Research Symposium (21 March 2025).

• Supervised PhD student Xiaowei Fan, awarded Excellent Poster Presentation Award (Top 20%) and Excellent Oral Presentation Award (Top 20%) at the First XJTLU-UoL-XJTU Postgraduate Research Joint Conference & 2025 XJTLU Postgraduate Research Symposium (21 March 2025).

• Supervised PhD student Weihan Liang’s research “Enhancing Virtual Reality Experience: Cognitive Fulfilment’s Impact on Customer Attitude” awarded Sugarbomb Best Paper Award at the 2024 International Conference on Entrepreneurship, Technology, and Social Sciences (4–5 December 2024, Kuala Lumpur).

• Supervised PhD student Xiaowei Fan’s research “Shaping Consumer Behaviour in Metaverse Retailing: The Role of Spatial Presence, Immersion, and Interactivity” awarded People’s Choice for Poster Presentation at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China 8th Postgraduate Research Conference (22–23 November 2024, Ningbo).

• Outstanding Paper Award (Marketing Management Track) at the 19th Chinese Academy of Management Annual Meeting (26 October 2024, Taicang, China).

• Supervised PhD student Xiaowei Fan’s research awarded Best Poster Presentation Award (Top 10%) at the First Wisdom Lake Postgraduate Researcher Development Conference & 2023 XJTLU Postgraduate Research Symposium (13–15 December 2023, Suzhou Industrial Park [SIP]).

• Supervised student project “Bosch Warehouse Heavy Goods (Battery) Picking Process Optimization Project” awarded Second Prize at the 2023 XJTLU Student Research-led Learning Symposium, Learning Institute for Future Excellence (November 2023).

• ILEAD/AoFE Open Programmes Training Instructor/Speaker on Syntegrative Education, Teaching Management, and Research-led Pedagogical Reform (Academic Years 2020–2021, 2021–2022, 2022–2023).

• Trainer for XJTLU Affiliated School New Faculty Summer Training Camp, Taicang (2023).

• TV Interview on the Opening Ceremony of the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese XJTLU Taicang Campus (April 2023).

• Round Table Panel Discussant at the Suzhou Software Industry Association Special Committee of Meta-verse Ecology Conference (April 2023).

• TV Interview on the Grand Opening Ceremony of XJTLU Taicang Campus (5 September 2022).

• Forum Speaker on “Complementary Resources and SME Firm Performance” at Shanghai Maritime University (2022).

• Supervised student project “Supply Chain Management in Organic Agriculture in the Post COVID-19 Era” awarded First Prize at the 7th Annual Global Issues Conference (April 2022).

• Speaker on “Supply Chain Talent Development: The Syntegrative Approach at EC Taicang” at the Shanghai Forum on Supply Chain Management Construction and Development (22–25 April 2021, Lingang, Shanghai).

• Speaker at the 2021 Digital Economy Development and Digitalised Talent Development Conference, organized by the Shanghai Yangpu Industry Internet and Blockchain Application Innovation Centre (January 2021, Shanghai).

• Keynote Speaker on “Analytical Tools in Management Science” at Beihai Senior High School of Guangxi Province (December 2020).

• Guest Speaker for Undergraduate Social Sciences at NYU Shanghai (2019).

• Representative of Alliance MBS at the Association of MBAs (AMBA) Asia Pacific Deans and Directors Conference (January 2018, Harbin).

• Delegate of Alliance MBS at the GMAC APAC Conference (November 2017, Hong Kong SAR China).

• Representative of Alliance MBS at the Russell Group-China Collaborative Conference (June 2015, Fudan University).

• Delegate of Alliance MBS at the Association of MBAs Asia Pacific Deans and Directors Conference (2015, Chongqing).

• Panel Guest on “Future of Retailing in China” by the Oxford Institute of Retail Management (OXIRM), Saïd Business School, University of Oxford (2015, Shanghai).

• Panel Guest at the 8th China Retail Forum, co-organized by Tsinghua University, the Ministry of Commerce, and the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania (2012, Beijing).

• Session Chair for Relationship Marketing Track at the Academy of Marketing Conference, supported by the Nottingham University Business School Conference Full Grant (2012, Southampton University).

• Doctoral Fellow in Advanced Model Building for Marketing, Aston Business School (2012, Birmingham).

• EDEN Doctoral Fellow, European Institute for Advanced Studies in Management (2011, Brussels).

• Doctoral Consortium Fellow, INFORMS Marketing Science Conference (2010, Cologne).

• Doctoral Colloquium Fellow, European Marketing Academy (EMAC) Conference (2010, Copenhagen).

• Doctoral Colloquium Grant Recipient, Academy of Marketing Conference (2009, Leeds).

• Nautilus Travel Grant Recipient, Templeton College, University of Oxford (2008).

• Conference Grant Recipient, Saïd Business School, University of Oxford (2008).

• Doctoral Fellow, Research Methods for Industrial Doctoral Community, Institute for Manufacturing (IfM), University of Cambridge (2008–2009).