Zhang, Philip Renyu（張任宇）

Biography

Professor Philip Renyu Zhang joined The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) Business School as a visiting scholar in the Department of Decisions, Operations and Technology in September 2021 and has been an Associate Professor since September 2022. Prior to joining CUHK Business School, he was an Assistant Professor of Operations Management at New York University (NYU) Shanghai and an NYU Global Network Assistant Professor since August 2016. Professor Zhang holds a PhD degree in Business Administration (Operations Management) at Olin Business School, Washington University in St. Louis, and a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Peking University.

Professor Zhang’s research interests are applying AI and data science to address fundamental business operations issues under the emerging trends in technology, marketplaces, and society. He is particularly enthusiastic about developing data science methodologies (machine learning, causal inference, and data-driven optimisation) to evaluate and optimise the operations strategies in the contexts of online platforms and marketplaces, sharing economy, and social networks, especially their recommendation, advertising, pricing, and matching policies. His research works have appeared in Management Science, Operations Research, and Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, and have been recognised by various research awards of the INFORMS and POMS communities. His research projects have been funded by NSFC Excellent Young Scientist Program (优青), SMEC, STCSM, HK RGC, and Tencent.

Professor Zhang is also a strong adherent to the philosophy that business research should push the “efficient frontier” of intellectual depth and practical impact, thus striving to implement his research in business practice whenever applicable.

Teaching Areas

Business Analytics
Data Science
Machine Learning
Artificial Intelligence
Operations Management

Research Interests

Methodologies:
Machine Learning and Deep Learning
Causal Inference and Econometrics
Reinforcement Learning
Data-Driven Optimisation

Applications:
Online Platforms and Marketplaces
Social Networks
Artificial Intelligence Ethics
Revenue Management and Pricing
Inventory and Supply Chain Management

• Publications & Working Papers

  Publications

  • Qinlu Hu, Ni (Nina) Huang, and Renyu Zhang (2024), “Viewer Traffic Allocation for Small Creator Development: Experimental Evidence from Short-Video Platforms,” ICIS’24.
  • Yunduan Lin, Heng Zhang, Renyu Zhang and Max Shen (2024), “Nonprogressive Diffusion on Social Networks: Approximation and Applications”, EC’24.
  • Yunduan Lin, Mengxin Wang, Max Shen, Heng Zhang, and Renyu Zhang (2024), “Content Promotion for Online Content Platforms with Network Diffusion Effect”, Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, forthcoming.
  • Xiaolong Li, Ying Rong, Renyu Zhang, and Huan Zheng (2023), “Online Advertisement Allocation under Customer Choices and Algorithmic Fairness”, Management Science, forthcoming.
  • Junfei Lei, Fuqiang Zhang, Renyu Zhang, and Yugang Yu (2023), “Inventory Commitment and Monetary Compensation under Competition”, Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, forthcoming.
  • Zikun Ye, Zhiqi Zhang, Dennis J. Zhang, Heng Zhang and Renyu Zhang (2023), “Deep Learning Based Casual Inference for Large-Scale Combinatorial Experiments: Theory and Empirical Evidence,” EC’23.
  • Zhiyu Zeng, Hengchen Dai, Dennis Zhang, Heng Zhang, Renyu Zhang, Max Shen, and Zhiwei Xu (2022), “The Impact of Social Nudges on User-Generated Content for Social Network Platforms,” Management Science, forthcoming.
  • Nan Yang and Renyu Zhang (2022), “Comparative Statics Analysis of An Inventory Management Model with Dynamic Pricing, Market Environment Fluctuation, and Delayed Differentiation,” Production and Operations Management, 31(1), 2022, 341-357.
  • Maxime Cohen, Renyu Zhang and Kevin Jiao (2022), “Data Aggregation and Demand Prediction,”Operations Research, forthcoming.
  • Zikun Ye, Dennis Zhang, Heng Zhang, Renyu Zhang, Xin Chen, and Zhiwei Xu (2022), “Cold Start to Improve Market Thickness on Online Advertising Platforms: Data-Driven Algorithms and Field Experiments,” Management Science, forthcoming.
  • Nan Yang and Renyu Zhang (2022), “Dynamic Pricing and Inventory Management in the Presence of Online Reviews,” Production and Operations Management, 31(8), 3180-3197.
  • Maxime Cohen and Renyu Zhang (2022), “Competition and Coopetition for Two-sided Platforms,” Production and Operations Management, 31(5), 1997-2014.
  • Xuan Wang and Renyu Zhang (2021), “Carpool Services for Ride-sharing Platforms: Price and Welfare Implications,” Naval Research Logistic, 69(4), 550-565.
  • Nan Yang and Renyu Zhang (2014), “Dynamic Pricing and Inventory Management under Inventory-Dependent Demand,” Operations Research, 62(5), 1077-1094.
  • Guang Xiao, Nan Yang, Renyu Zhang (2015), “Dynamic Pricing and Inventory Management under Fluctuating Procurement Costs,” Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, 17(3), 321-334.
  • Long Gao, Nan Yang, Renyu Zhang, and Ting Luo (2017), “Dynamic Supply Risk Management with Signal-Based Forecast Multi-Sourcing, and Discretionary Selling,” Production and Operations Management, 26(7), 2017, 1399-1415.
  • Fuqiang Zhang and Renyu Zhang (2018), “Trade-in Remanufacturing, Customer Purchasing Behavior, and Government Policy,” Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, 20(4), 2018, 601-616.

  Working Papers

  • Yixin Zhu, Hongfan Chen, Renyu Zhang and Sean X. Zhou (2024), “Optimal Growth of a Two-Sided Platform with Heterogeneous Agents“.
  • Zeyu Jiang, Nan Yang, and Renyu Zhang (2022), “Dynamic Competition in Online Retailing: Implications of Network Effects“.

  Book

  Maxime C. Cohen, Paul-Emile Gras, Arthur Pentecoste, and Renyu Zhang (2021), “Demand Prediction in Retail – A Practical Guide to Leverage Data and Predictive Analytics”, Springer Series in Supply Chain Management.

• Grants
  • “Data-Driven Platform Operations Management” by National Natural Science Foundation of China, Excellent Young Scientist Program (优青) 72422004, with RMB 2,000,000, 2025-2027 (Principal Investigator).
  • “Optimising User Traffic Allocation for Online User-Generated Content Platforms” by Hong Kong Research Grants Council, General Research Fund 14503224, with HKD 886,865, 2024-2025 (Principal Investigator).
  • “Algorithmic Self-Preferencing on E-Commerce Platforms: Evidence from JD.COM” by Hong Kong Research Grants Council, General Research Fund 14504123, with HKD 444,066, 2024-2025 (Principal Investigator).
  • Collaboration with University Fund, by Tencent, RMB 332,310, 2022 (Principal Investigator)
  • “Causal Inference with Multiple A/B Tests on Large-Scale Online Platforms” by Hong Kong Research Grants Council, General Research Fund 14502722, with HKD 629,325, 2022-2025 (Principal Investigator)
  • CUHK ‘Improvement on Competitiveness in Hiring New Faculties’ Funding Scheme, with HKD 1,500,000, 2022 (Principal Investigator)
  • “Carpool Services of Online Ride-Sharing Platforms”, by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, Young Scientist Program 71802133, with RMB 180,000, 2019-2021 (Principal Investigator)
  • Shanghai Eastern Scholar, by Shanghai Municipal Education Commission, Young Scientist Program QD2018053, RMB 600,000, 2019-2021 (Principal Investigator)
  • “The Impact of Social Networks on Operations Strategies”, by the Shanghai Science and Technology Committee, Pujiang Talent Program 17PJC074, RMB 100,000, 2017-2019 (Principal Investigator)

• Awards & Honours
  • Finalist Award, INFORMS Data Mining and Decision Analytics Workshop Best Paper Competition, 2023
  • Finalist Award, MSOM Student Paper Competition, 2023
  • Winner, INFORMS Social Media Analytics Best Student Paper Award Competition, 2022, 2023
  • Second Prize, CSAMSE Best Paper Award, 2023
  • Winner, POMS-HK Best Student Paper Award, 2023
  • Meritorious Service Award, Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023
  • Finalist Award, INFORMS Revenue Management and Pricing Student Paper Competition, 2020
  • Finalist Award, INFORMS Data Mining Section Best Paper Competition, 2019
  • Honorable Mention, INFORMS Service Science Best Cluster Paper Award, 2017
  • Finalist Award, POMS College of Supply Chain Management Best Student Paper Competition, 2015

• Academic/Professional Services
  • Senior Editor, Production and Operations Management, since September 2022
  • Associate Editor, Naval Research Logistics, since August 2022
  • CUHK Business School IBBA Business Analytics Concentration Advisor, since September 2022
  • Member, Curriculum Committee of the Department of Decisions, Operations and Technology, 2021-2022