Key details
Dr Li Zhou
Professor of Operations and Supply Chain Management, Co-Director of Networks and Urban Systems Centre, Co-Director of Connected Cities Research Group
Professor Li Zhou is an expert on operations and supply chain management in the Department of Systems Management & Strategy, Business School, University of Greenwich. She has been a member of the faculty since July 2005.
She received a BSc and an MSc in Engineering, and a PhD in Management Science and Engineering. Prior to joining the University of Greenwich, She was a post-doctoral researcher at Logistics Systems Dynamics Group (LSDG), Business School, Cardiff University, UK; a visiting scholar at the Department of Production Economics, Linköping Institute of Technology, Sweden; an associate professor and an associate dean in the Institute of Industrial Automation, Nanchang University, China.
Li has had excellent opportunities to teach a variety of courses and do research in different universities in China, Sweden and the UK. During over 30 years in the profession, she has taught at levels ranging from part-time adult education to full-time undergraduate, postgraduate and PhD supervision. Currently, she leads and teaches the modules of 'Purchasing and Distribution', 'Procurement and Supply Managment', 'Research Methods and Foundation of Scholarship', and 'Dissertation'.
Li has acted in several different leadership roles during her international career, ranging from project leadership to team leader and team member in a number of projects funded by the Chinese government, the Swedish Institute, EU Marie Skłodowska-Curie, and enterprises. These projects range from product design to education and management consulting. She therefore has accumulated a wealth of experience working with industry partners and acquired a real view of the whole supply chain starting from product design, purchasing, production, to marketing, and to recycling, where the operations management concept embeds in each stage.
So far, she has had over 150 articles published in various forms including journal papers, edited book chapters, and conference papers. Her work appears (inter alia) in internationally recognised and high-impact journals such as "Production and Operations Management", "European Journal of Operational Research", "International Journal of Production Economics", "OR Spectrum", "OMEGA - The International Journal of Management Science", and "Supply Chain Management: An International Journal".
Li is a managing guest editor or guest editor for the special issues in the International Journal of Production Economics and Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review. She is also a regular reviewer for a number of international journals and an invited reviewer for a few funding bodies.
Apart from strong academic record, Li is also a frequent contributor to professional institutes and educational organisations. For many years, she has been serving as an assessor for the International Federation of Purchasing and Supply Management (IFPSCM), Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS) and Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport in the UK (CILT).
Responsibilities within the university
Teaching
Professor Li Zhou was the Programme Director of MA Logistics and Supply Chain Management
She leads and teaches three postgraduate modules – "Foundation of Scholarship and Research Methods", "Procurement and Supply Management"; "Dissertation"; and one undergraduate module "Purchasing and Distribution".
MPhil/PhD supervision
Professor Li Zhou supervises MPhil/PhD candidates in the subjects of big data application in supply chain management. It covers supply chain dynamics, inventory management, reverse logistics, sustainable supply chain management, closed-loop supply chain management. She welcomes prospective PhD applicants to discuss research topic with her if any help needed.
Current (as 1st supervisor):
- Le Thuy An Dang: Big-Data Driven Decision Making in Supply Chains
- Minli Song: Developing Strategies for Sharing Micro-mobility
Completions:
As first supervisor:
- Quang (James) Huy Duong (PhD scholarship): Exploring Product Return Behaviour Through Machine Learning Techniques.
- Thitika Ratanachaikul: Research on Food-Waste Behaviour.
- Tiep Nguyen: Big Data Analytics in Closed-Loop Supply Chain Management.
- Sadiye Sadanoglu: Urban Sustainability Performance Management.
- Nigel Wild: Ethical Procurement in NGOs.
- Xiaole Zhang (PhD scholarship): The Impact of Reverse Logistics Uncertainties on Operational Decision Making.
- Truong Nguyen: Big Data Driven Decision Making in Supply Chain Management.
As second supervisor:
- Xiaoyu Gu (PhD scholarship): Triple Supply Chains Management of Electrical Vehicle Sector.
- Lin Huang (PhD scholarship): Supply Relationship Management in Pharmaceutical Supply Chain.
- Fanny Paschek (PhD scholarship): Socio-technical Innovation Towards Sustainable Urban Transport Futures: The Case of Re-Establishing Utility Cycling as a Mainstream Mode in London.
- Anusha Anusha (PhD scholarship): Value Chain Management of Waste-Free Cities.
- IIaria Guandalini (PhD scholarship): Impact of Switching Cost on Sustainability.
- Xu Zhao (PhD scholarship): Exploring the Links between Commuting and Wellbeing for Happier and More Liveable Cities: A Mixed Methods Case Study in London. (3rd supervisor)
Administrative activities
Professor Li Zhou is a committee member of the "RETI Postgraduate Research, FBUS" and "Research and Enterprise Committee, FBUS". She is also the Departmental research coordinator.
Awards
Best Paper Awards
Best EJOR (ABS 4) paper on “Theory and Methodology” by The Association of European Operational Research Societies at EURO 2022
Truong Nguyen, Li Zhou*, Alain Yee Loong Chong, Boying Li, “Predicting Customer Demand for Remanufactured Products: A Data-Mining Approach”, European Journal of Operational Research, 281(3), 543-558. doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2019.08.015
Best Paper Award (2021)
Song, Malin , Xie, Qianjiao, Wang, Shuhong, Zhou, Li (2021), Intensity of environmental regulation and environmentally biased technology in the employment market. Omega, Volume 100, April 2021, 102201 (doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.omega.2020.102201)
Projects
Circular Economy Innovations for Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Battery Technologies (CIRCUBATT) (January 2025 – December 2028), Funded by Horizon Europe, €5M (UoG €1.3M), Grant No. 101192383.
Professor Li Zhou (PI), Dr. Hetty Wenxian Sun (Co-I, Operational Lead and Researcher), Dr. James Quang Huy Duong (Co-I, Researcher), Dr. Maggie Mao Xu (Co-I, Researcher), Dr. Carlos F.D.A. Arranz (Co-I, Researcher), Professor Petros Ieromonachou (Core Advisor).
Supply chain support to SME community in the Royal Borough of Greenwich (January 2024 – March 2025)
Wenxian Sun (PI), Li Zhou (Co-PI), Aaron Tan (Co-PI), Yasser Abdallah (Co-PI), Petros Ieromonachou (Core Advisor), Funded by Greenwich council.
Mapping circular economy in London Borough of Hounslow (March – June, 2022)
Professor Li Zhou (PI), Dr. Quang Huy Duong (James) (Co-PI), Professor Petros Ieromonachou (Co-PI), Duy Tiep Nguyen (Key researcher), Le Thuy An Dang (Key researcher),Funded by Hounslow council.
Development of green business database in London Borough of Hounslow (March – June, 2022)
Professor Li Zhou (PI), Dr. Quang Huy Duong (James) (Co-PI), Professor Petros Ieromonachou (Co-PI), Duy Tiep Nguyen (Key researcher), Le Thuy An Dang (Key researcher),Funded by Hounslow council.
Interface connection and logistics optimization management of the manufacture-circulation industrial system (2022-2026)
Professor Li Zhou (Key researcher), Professor Nengming Wang (PI, Xi’an Jiaotong University, China), the Major Project Funded by National Natural Science Foundation of China (72192834).
Modelling behavioural changes induced by infectious disease via physical activity trackers (2019-2022)
Nicola Perra (PI), Li Zhou (co-PI), Luis E Rocha, and Vittoria Colizza, funded by DTA3/COFUND, University Alliance, EU Marie Skłodowska-Curie PhD Fellowship programme
Research on remanufacture planning and its implementation (2013-2016)
Dr. Li Zhou (key researcher) and Prof. JiaPing Xie (PI, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, China). Funded by National Nature Science Foundation of China.
Research on the development supply chain management on Internet of Things (IOT) environment (2012-2013)
Dr. Li Zhou (PI) Funded by competitive RAE funding, University of Greenwich.
Contract optimisation in a closed-loop product service chain (2010-2013)
Dr. Li Zhou (key researcher) and Prof. JiaPing Xie (PI, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, China). Funded by National Nature Science Foundation of China.
Recognition
Editorial boards
- International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier
- International Journal of Applied Management Science, Inderscience
- International Journal of Data Analysis Techniques and Strategies, Inderscience
- International Journal of Services, Economics and Management, Inderscience
- Operations and Supply Chain Management: An International Journal (OSCM)
- International Journal of Network and Mobile Technologies, cited in EBSCO system.
Chief guest editor for International Journal of Production Economics
- Special Issue on Supply chain management in the era of the internet of things", International Journal of Production Economics.
- Special issue on Platform Service Supply Chain Management: Challenges and Solutions", International Journal of Production Economics.
Guest Editor
- Special issue on "Smart Supply Chains and Intelligent Logistics Services", Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review.
- Special Issue on the 20th International Working Seminar on Production Economics in Innsbruck, Austria, International Journal of Production Economics.
- Special issue on Current Research Issues in Production Economics", International Journal of Production Economics.
Visiting professor
- HuaZhong University of Science and Technology, China
East China Jiaotong University, China.
External examiner for professional bodies
- The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT)
- The Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS)
- The International Federation of Purchasing and Supply Management (IFPSCM)
External programme examiner for UK universities
External PhD examiner for UK and Spain universities
Research / Scholarly interests
Professor Li Zhou's expertise mainly lies in operations management and supply chain management. There are five coherent themes:
- Economic assessment and systems dynamics performance measurement of the supply chain
- Reverse logistics management
- Inventory management
- Sustainable purchasing and procurement
- Big data application in supply chains.
The focus of her research has been to analyse economic and environmental performance of businesses and their supply chains by using modelling simulations.
Li's research in these areas not only contributes to academic theory and knowledge, but also business success and societal development. For instance, from an operational aspect, inventory management is a critical element for any organisation - holding too much inventory will tie up space and capital which incurs significant operations and opportunity costs, but on the other hand, running out of inventory can lead to catastrophic slowdowns across the supply chain which can additionally impact many downstream companies. Her research on optimising inventory levels, reducing the bullwhip effect, and measuring performance in the supply chain has been well received by practitioners.
Reverse logistics and green supply chain, one of her research areas, has benefited the Chinese battery recycling industry in terms of how the industry can improve their performance through financial support from the government, environmental awareness campaigns, adoption of new technology and development of a new business model to stimulate a higher product recycling rate. Part of this research outcome can also be applied to other industries to minimise environmental impact.