Recently, Professor Liu Zehao of the School of Finance at Renmin University of China was officially invited to become a member of the Finance Theory Group (FTG). This marks the first time in the history of the organization that a scholar has been invited to join while serving full-time at a university in mainland China, signifying a new milestone in the School’s international influence in frontier research on financial theory.

The Finance Theory Group is widely recognized as one of the most authoritative academic organizations in the field of financial theory research worldwide, bringing together many of the world’s leading scholars in financial theory. With the mission of promoting and advancing research in financial theory, FTG is dedicated to advocating and supporting theoretical innovations that can lead financial thinking, guide and inspire empirical research, and exert significant influence on real-world policy.

FTG membership is by invitation only and does not accept individual applications. New members must be nominated by existing members and elected by vote of the Board of Directors, ensuring the high academic standards and professional focus of the membership. Following this year’s new additions, there are only three FTG members from mainland China. Professor Liu Zehao’s invitation to join reflects further recognition by the international academic community of his scholarly achievements and research contributions in the field of financial theory.

Liu Zehao is a professor and doctoral supervisor at the School of Finance, Renmin University of China. He also serves as Deputy Chair of the Department of Money and Finance. He is a recipient of the National Natural Science Foundation of China Young Scientists Fund Category B, formerly known as the Excellent Young Scientists Fund, a member of the Finance Theory Group, and Deputy Director of the China Financial Markets and Policy Research Institute at Renmin University of China.

He received his Ph.D. from the Department of Finance at the School of Economics and Management, Tsinghua University, and earned his undergraduate degree from the Experimental Program in Finance and Mathematics at Renmin University of China. Upon graduation, he received the university’s highest student honor, the Wu Yuzhang Scholarship. During his doctoral studies, he was also a visiting doctoral student at the Yale School of Management.

His main research areas include monetary banking, financial intermediation, financial crises, and issues related to the Chinese economy and finance. His research has been published in leading international and Chinese academic journals, including Journal of Economic Theory with two papers, Theoretical Economics, Economic Theory, Journal of Financial Intermediation, China Economic Review, Economic Research Journal, Journal of Financial Researchwith three papers, and China Economic Quarterly.

The National Natural Science Foundation of China Young Scientists Fund Category C project, formerly the Young Scientists Fund project, that he led was rated “exceptionally excellent” upon completion. He has received honors including the Second Sun Yefang Financial Innovation Award, the Journal of Financial Research Annual Outstanding Paper Award twice, the International Finance Research Best Article Award, the Chinese Society for Finance and Banking Outstanding Paper Award, Renmin University of China Teaching Excellence Award, Outstanding Undergraduate Extracurricular Teaching Advisor Award, and Outstanding Research Achievement Award.