Postdoctoral Research Fellow (Principal Investigator: Prof Sunghan Ryu)

University of Nottingham Ningbo China

Business School

Area

Opportunities at the University of Nottingham in Ningbo China

Nottingham University Business School China Prof. Sunghan Ryu’s research team is seeking outstanding Postdoctoral Research Fellow to join the postdoctoral research station in business administration for the development of University of Nottingham Ningbo China research agenda.

Your Responsibility

Your key responsibilities include:

• To formulate and articulate research objectives, alongside developing proposals for both individual and collaborative projects, utilizing established methodologies and techniques to execute research effectively within the specified area;
• To analyze data meticulously, interpret findings, evaluate scholarly texts, and contribute innovative insights, while adhering to project deadlines and collaborating seamlessly with team members and partners;
• To write up research work for publication and/or contribute to the dissemination at national/international conferences, resulting in successful research outputs;
• To identify opportunities and assist in writing bids for research grant applications;
• To build relationships with both internal and external contacts in order to exchange information, to form relationships for future collaborations and identify potential sources of funds and/or opportunities for collaboration.

About You

• The candidate must have obtained a PhD degree within 3 years and in the relevant business/management areas such as information systems (IS), marketing, operations management, entrepreneurship, and management;
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English, including the ability to communicate with clarity on complex information. Excellent communication skills in Chinese is a plus.
• High analytical ability to analyse and illuminate data, interprets reports, evaluate and criticise texts and bring new insights.
• Ability to creatively apply relevant research approaches, models, techniques and methods.
• Ability to assess and organise resource requirements and deploy effectively.
• Ability to build relationships and collaborate with others, both internally and externally.
• Some practical experience of applying the specialist skills and approaches and techniques required for the role.

About Us

Join a unique British University in China. Join a unique British University in China. University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC) was the first Sino-foreign university to open its doors in China. Located in Ningbo, this award winning campus offering a UK-style education has grown to establish a student body of over 9,000 in just 20 years.

About Postdoctoral research station in Business Administration. Postdoctoral research station in Business Administration was approved to establish in Nov 2023. It is UNNC’s first postdoctoral research station, and its founding deeply aligns with the national strategic needs in promoting talent cultivation and innovation as well as that of UNNC. UNNC’s undergraduate programme of Business Administration was launched in 2004 and the doctoral programme in 2009. The subject has been listed among the world’s top academic subjects by Shanghai Ranking for four consecutive years. The discipline of Business Administration has also established teaching and research platforms at multiple levels and carried out in-depth industry university research cooperation with world renowned enterprises such as Microsoft and Amazon. In the future, UNNC will incorporate the development of the postdoctoral research station into the agenda of the university to provide talent support in efforts to promote scientific and technological innovation as well as economic and social development.

About the Research Team. Sunghan Ryu (PI) is a Professor in Management Science and Analytics at the NUBS China, UNNC. He also serves as the series editor for the Digital Entertainment series of SAGE Business Cases. His research and teaching interests include digital innovations in media and entertainment domains and effective digital technology applications in the creative entrepreneurial context. His research works appeared in top academic journals, including MIS Quarterly, Journal of Marketing, New Media & Society, and Harvard Business Review. He is also the author of the books “Media and Entertainment Industry Management” (Routledge, 2024) and “Beauty of Crowdfunding: Blooming Creativity and Innovation in the Digital Era” (Routledge, 2019), and co-edited “SAGE Guides to Digital Innovation in the Cultural and Creative Industry” (SAGE Publishing, 2024). For details, please refer to the link: https://research.nottingham.edu.cn/en/persons/sunghan-ryu

About the Project. This project examines the roles of trust and authenticity in shaping participation and outcomes across different forms of digital platforms. While platform-mediated exchange thrives on accessibility and scalability, users’ willingness to engage depends on perceptions of credibility, reputation, and genuine interaction. It will investigate how platform design features, community norms, and cross-cultural differences influence trust formation and authenticity judgments across domains, ranging from entrepreneurial fundraising (e.g., Kickstarter), to hospitality exchange (e.g., Airbnb), to digital goods (e.g., Steam), to consumer-to-consumer marketplaces (e.g., Etsy), and live-streamed content (e.g., Twitch). It further explores how domain-specific practices (e.g., review systems, identity verification, influencer credibility, and gamified reputation mechanisms) intersect with cultural values in shaping trust outcomes.

Your Remuneration, Benefits and Support

You will be offered a fixed term contract with University of Nottingham Ningbo China for 2 years. You will be offered a minimum annual salary package of RMB269,906 with competitive benefits package. Postdoctoral Research Fellow is also able to apply RMB50,000 research funding after they start their research.  

How to Apply

Applicants should submit an application via our on-line application system before Nov 07, 2025. Only on-line applications will be accepted. Referees will be contacted prior to interview and interviews will take place in Ningbo China.

Applications should include but are not limited to the following:

• A cover letter
• An up-to-update CV includes academic and research achievement list
• A Research proposal (Please refer to the attached project summary)

Enquiries

Informal enquiries regarding the research project may be addressed to Prof. Sunghan Ryu Sunghan.Ryu@nottingham.edu.cn. If you are unable to apply on-line please contact the Human Resources Office, Tel: 86 574 88180000(Ext. 8854).