
Mengnan "Cliff" Zhu
Ph.D. candidate in International Economics and Finance
Corporate Finance, Financial Regulation, FinTech, Machine Learning
ABOUT ME
While technology is rapidly reshaping the financial world, the disruptions create opportunities and challenges simultaneously. I find my passion in applying newly developed machine learning techniques to investigate corporate finance-related issues. I concentrate on the financial decision-making of firms and financial intermediaries, and the impacts of public regulation on business. I answer questions in financial economics with an academically oriented, analytical, and reflective perspective.
Prior to my PhD life, I studied business at Shandong Technology and Business University in Yantai, China. After obtaining an MBA from The State University of New York at New Paltz, I worked as a full-time financial analyst in Beijing for five years. During my time with a private equity firm that focused on large-scale infrastructure projects, I gained extensive investment and negotiation experience from both the buy- and sell-side. I was fascinated by the sophisticated decision-making process and specific interpersonal skills on display. In 2015, my family and I moved to Boston, where I continued my finance journey by pursuing an MS in Finance degree at Brandeis University. Two years of systematic study in finance theory and practice trained me into a finance professional and equipped me with excellent analytical ability and a sharp understanding of the industry.
Inspired by Dean Kathryn Graddy and Director of the Ph.D. program, Prof. Blake LeBaron, I successfully transferred to Brandeis International Business School's competitive Ph.D. program in 2017. Since then, I have devoted myself to the academic world. I am grateful to work closely with Prof. Debarshi Nandy, a good friend and a lifetime mentor, who supports me, believes in me, and always provides honest feedback.
With a keen understanding of academic literature and an acute sense of technology trends and business needs, I am prepared and excited to grapple with real-world challenges through a commitment to problem-centered research, a desire for continuous discovering, and a passion for contributing to both the academic and financial world.
Education
2017 - 2022
Brandeis International Business School
Ph.D. in International Economics and Finance
2015 - 2017
Brandeis International Business School
M.S. in Finance
Work Experience (non-Academic)
2016 - 2017 (part-time)
Enterprise projects Ventures Ltd.
Financial Risk Advisor, Department of Asset Financing
2011 - 2015
Jared Times Investment Co.
Senior Financial Analyst, Department of Capital Operation
2008 - 2010
State University of New York at New Paltz
M.B.A.
2004 - 2008
Shandong Technology and Business University
B.S. in Business
University Services
2017
Student representative, Dean Search Committee
Brandeis International Business School
Skills
Certificates:
2011 - now
Project Management Professional (PMP)
2016
Student representative, Board of Directors
Brandeis International Business School
Languages:
Bilingual in Mandarin Chinese and English