PROFILE / OVERVIEW

Dr Rebecca Liu is a Senior Lecturer in Marketing at Lancaster University Management School.  Her work investigates how organisations innovate, learn and adapt within rapidly changing digital and societal environments.  Drawing on over 25 years of combined academic and industry experience, she explores the intersection of marketing innovation, network learning, sustainability, and cross-cultural management.  Her research bridges theory and practice, informing innovation policy, organisational strategy, and responsible business models across Asia, Europe, and the UK.

Before joining academia, Dr Liu held senior roles in global corporations across Asia, the United States, and Europe, leading strategic marketing, executive education, and international business development.  She is widely recognised for her academic leadership, keynote speaking, and contributions to international partnerships and professional communities. 

QUALIFICATIONS

• PhD, Marketing and New Product Development Management, University of Strathclyde, UK
• MBA, Henry W. Bloch School of Management, University of Missouri, USA

Additional Professional Qualifications

• Senior Fellow, Higher Education Academy, UK (2023)
• Fellow, Higher Education Academy, UK (2019)

CAREER DETAILS

Dr Rebecca Liu's career spans more than two decades across academia and international industry. She began her professional career in global corporations, holding senior roles in marketing, executive education and international business development across Taiwan, Hong Kong, China, and the United States.  Her experience includes leading national marketing strategy for FedEx China and Taiwan, overseeing executive education across the Asia-Pacific region, and serving as General Manager for eMage Corporation with responsibility for multinational operations. 

She entered academia at the University of Strathclyde Business School as a Research Fellow, working on major EU- and industry-funded projects in innovation and new product development.  She later held lectureships at the University of Edinburgh Business School and the University of Sussex Business School, where she taught across marketing, innovation, and international business while further developing her research in knowledge networks and innovation ecosystems.

Dr Liu joined Lancaster University Management School in 2014, progressing from Lecturer to Senior Lecturer. During her time at Lancaster, she has undertaken a range of academic leadership roles, contributing to programme development, international partnerships, research capacity building, and cross-campus collaboration. Her career reflects a sustained commitment to integrating research, teaching, and engagement to advance responsible marketing and innovation practice.

PROFESSIONAL ROLE

At Lancaster University, Dr Liu contributes to academic leadership, research development, and global engagement.  She has led international collaborations, curriculum innovation, cross-campus partnerships, and strategic initiatives supporting responsible management education, digital sustainability, and innovation ecosystems.  

Key leadership roles include: 

• Director of Engagement, Lancaster University China Centre (2018-Present)
• Departmental Lead for International Partnership and Development (2022-2024)
• Departmental Lead, LUMS Centre for Health Futures (2020-2022)
• Programme Director, Joint Marketing Programmes - BSc Marketing with Design; BSc Marketing with Psychology (2016-2019)

EXTERNAL ROLES

• Vice Chair, Executive Committee (SIGs), British Academy of Management (2026-2029)
• Fellow, Peer Review college - British Academy of Management (2026 - 2029)
• Board Member, Advisory Board, International Education Management Agency (2025-Present)
• Editorial Board Member
  • Journal of Education and Educational Policy Studies (2024-Present)
  • European Business and Management
  • Frontiers in Economics and Management Research
• External Examiner
  • Lancaster University Ghana (2022-Present)
  • University Centre Peterborough (Open University) (2023-2027)
  • Sheffield Hallam University (2016-2022)
  • UCEN Manchester (2016-2022)
  • GD. Goenka World Institute (2016-2022)

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Dr Liu's research focuses on:

• Marketing innovation & Digital Transformation: Design thinking, Industry 5.0, Society 5.0, digitalisation, and innovation management.
• Learning & Knowledge in Networks: Inter-organisational learning, absorptive capacity, and knowledge ecosystems.
• Sustainability & Responsible Business: CSR, sustainability-led innovation, and partnerships for societal impact.
• Cross-Cultural & Comparative Management: Innovation behaviour across Asia, Europe, and emerging markets.
• Engaged & Inclusive Scholarship: Equality, Diversity, Inclusion, and Respect (EDIR)-focused pedagogic innovation and co-created learning environments.

CURRENT RESEARCH

Current and recent projects include:

• Marketing 5.0 and organisational adaptation in Industry 5.0 transitions
• Digital sustainability and the integration of design thinking in innovation
• Cross-country comparative studies on sustainability-led innovation
• Inclusive and partnership-based approaches to management education
• Learning and knowledge processes in collaborative innovation networks

Undergraduate Studies: 

• Managing Marketing Innovation (MKTG315)
• Quantitative Marketing Research (MKTG212)
• Introduction to Marketing (MKTG101)

Postgraduate Studies:

• Building Marketing Intelligence: Quantitative Methods (MKTG552)
• Marketing Management (LUMS-UK & EMLyon Business School, France)

Previous teaching includes International Marketing Communications, Management of Innovation, Consumer Behaviour, Industry Consultancy Projects, and Executive Education programmes.

Weifan Zhang, ‘The Medical Device Market and its Industrial Evolution in China’, University of Sussex.  

Successfully defended with minor corrections on 9 October, 2016.

PhD Viva Chair / Examination

Abdulmoshen Alhassoun, "Business Responses to Climate Change Regulations: Evidence from the Saudi Automobile Industry". 2025.

BUSINESS & ENTERPRISE

Dr Liu's business engagement spans:

• Industry 5.0 and sustainability advisory work
• Collaboration with technology, design, and manufacturing organisations
• Professional Development Workshops for global practitioners
• Knowledge exchange with firms across Europe and Asia
• Executive training for multinational corporations

Dr Liu frequently chairs Professional Development Workshops (PDWs) at the British Academy of Management and leads cross-sector seminars linking industry, academia, and policy makers.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Dr Rebecca Liu has been recognised for her contributions to education, research, and academic service through a number of awards and distinctions.  She was nominated by Lancaster University for the National Teaching Fellowship Scheme Award (Advance HE, 2023) in recognition of her leadership in innovative, inclusive, and partnership-based pedagogy.  Her work has also been acknowledged with the British Academy of Management Education Practice Award (2022), the Outstanding Services Award (2016), and several Best Paper Awards at international conferences.

Dr Liu is also the recipient of several prestigious research funding awards, including support from the Marketing Trust for "Navigating Marketing 5.0 in the Era of Industry 5.0"; the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation for "Design Thinking in Action: Challenges and Management for Innovation Success"; and the Product Development and Management Association (PDMA) for "How Firms Learn about New Product Development in Their Business Networks." She has also secured funding through a range of other competitive research schemes, supporting her research on innovation, digitalisation, sustainability, Industry 5.0, and business networks.  

She is a regular keynote speaker and invited presenter on topics including innovation management, sustainability, Industry 5.0, and global education partnerships.  Dr Liu serves on editorial boards for multiple academic journals and contributes regularly as a reviewer for leading publications such as Industrial Marketing Management, British Journal of Management, and the Journal of Business Research. She also engages with media and public platforms through interviews, podcasts, and expert commentary that connect her research to wider audiences.