Yundan's main research interests are in the area of development economics, in particular related to firm level response to globalisation, innovation and firm performance, applied micro-econometric analysis and emerging economics. She has a strong interest in the implications of foreign direct investment (FDI) for economic development in emerging countries, and has worked extensively with policy makers in China in this area. Her research also extends to the area of institutional economics. 

Yundan is a Senior Lecturer in Development Economics at King’s. Before joining KCL in 2017, she worked as a senior lecturer at Brunel University, Aston Business School and as a research fellow at the Department of Economics at University of Nottingham. She obtained her PhD at the University of Nottingham.

Yundan’s main research interests lie in the area of development economics, in particular related to firm level response to globalisation, innovation and firm performance, applied micro-econometric analysis and emerging economics. She has a strong interest in the implications of foreign direct investment (FDI) for economic development in emerging countries and has worked extensively with policy makers in China in this area. Her research also extends to the area of institutional economics. Currently, Yundan is holding a BA/Leverhulme grant on “How does outward foreign direct investment contribute to the economic development and firm performance in emerging home economies?”

Yundan’s work has been published in journals such as Journal of International Economics, Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, World Bank Economic Review, International Journal of Industrial Organization, Scandinavian Journal of Economics etc. She also worked for various government projects for NESTA, UKTI, DTI etc. She received the “best paper in International Business and Finance award” at the 40th Academy of International Business – UK and Ireland Chapter conference in 2013, and her paper was nominated for the “best paper award” at the Academy of International Business annual conference in 2015.

Yundan is passionate about teaching students from a wide range of different backgrounds, about introducing them to economic topics and about sharing her research and knowledge with students. She also likes to combine academically rigorous research with insights from industry, for example inviting industry experts to give guest lectures and drawing on her previous experience as an angel investor and from working for one of the leading Chinese banks.