ZHOU, Jian, Professor @ Shanghai University

Research Interests: Machine learning, intelligent algorithms, and computational modeling, with applications in decision intelligence, fuzzy systems, and logistics and supply chain management.
Research Metrics (April 2026): Publications 135, Citations 3400, h-index 34 (Google Scholar)
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7835-8879
Google Scholar Link: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=O0ScwRwAAAAJ&hl=zh-CN
Research Gate Link: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jian-Zhou-89

• Professional Profile

Prof. Jian Zhou is a professor and doctoral supervisor at the School of Management, Shanghai University, China. She currently serves as the Chinese Director of the Confucius Institute at the University of Bahrain (CIUOB). Previously, she held key positions such as Deputy Director of the Department of Management Science and Engineering (2021–2023) and Principal of the Management Science Major, a National First-Class Undergraduate Program. From 2009 to 2011, she was an Associate Professor at Tsinghua University. She was named a Shanghai Shuguang Scholar in 2016 and recognized as a China-Bahrain Cultural Exchange Contributor in 2024. 

Prof. Zhou holds a B.S. in Applied Mathematics and Ph.D. in Computational Mathematics from Tsinghua University (Integrated M.S. & Ph.D. Program), Beijing, earning her degrees in 1998 and 2003, respectively. She conducted postdoctoral research in the Department of Computer Sciences at the University of Angers, France, from November 2003 to October 2004. She then joined the Department of Industrial Engineering at Tsinghua University in November 2004, where she worked for nearly seven years before moving to Shanghai University in May 2011. 

Prof. Zhou has participated in several international academic exchanges. She was a visiting scholar in the Department of Computer Sciences at Southern Polytechnic State University, USA (March–September 2006), and at the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, University of Technology Sydney, Australia (June–July 2011). She also conducted research visits at the University of Alberta, Canada (August–November 2013), and the Institute for Manufacturing (IfM) at the Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, UK (June–July 2019). 

Prof. Zhou's research interests focus on machine learning, intelligent algorithms, and computational modeling, with emphasis on their applications in decision intelligence, fuzzy systems, and smart product innovation. She is also active in data mining and AI-based approaches to complex system analysis and optimization. She has led multiple major research projects, including grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the National Social Science Foundation of China, the Ministry of Education, and various provincial-level initiatives. 

Prof. Zhou has authored or co-authored over 100 articles published in national and international journals, including INFORMS Journal on Computing, European Journal of Operational Research, IEEE Transactions on Fuzzy Systems, IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, International Journal of Production Economics, International Journal of Production Research, Computers & Industrial Engineering, Expert Systems with Applications, Information Sciences, Computers in Industry, Annals of Operations Research, and Fuzzy Optimization and Decision Making. More than 90 of these articles are indexed in SSCI or SCI through Web of Science, and one has been recognized as an ESI Highly Cited Paper. 

Prof. Zhou has received numerous academic honors, including the Zhong Jiaqing Operations Research Award from the Operations Research Society of China, the First Prize for Outstanding Young Papers from the Beijing Operations Research Society, the Third Prize for Outstanding Young Scientific Papers in Beijing, the Excellent Paper Award from the International Decision-Making Science Summit Forum, and the First Prize for High-End Papers from Shanghai University. According to Google Scholar, her research has been cited over 3,000 times, with an H-index of 31. As of the end of May 2026, her most highly cited paper has received 260 citations.

Prof. Zhou actively contributes to academic publishing and currently serves as an Associate Editor for the SCI-indexed journal Soft Computing and the international journals Journal of Uncertain Systems and Lecture Notes in Education, Arts, Management, and Social Science. She is also a Guest Editor for the SSCI-indexed journal Sustainability and the SCI-indexed journal Symmetry. In addition to her editorial work, she serves as a project evaluation expert for the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the National Social Science Foundation of China, as well as a dissertation evaluation expert for the Degree Center of the Ministry of Education.

Prof. Zhou has established long-term academic collaborations with leading international universities, including Monash University (Australia), the University of Liverpool (UK), the University of Technology Sydney (Australia), Ghent University (Belgium), and the University of Bahrain (Bahrain). She has led four projects under China’s National High-End Foreign Expert Introduction Program.

She also holds key roles in professional societies. She serves as the Executive Director of the Intelligent Computing Branch and the Uncertain Systems Branch of the Operations Research Society of China, as well as the Executive Director of the Shanghai Operations Research Society. Additionally, she is a Director of the China Branch of the International E-Commerce Federation, the Maritime Economic Management Branch of the China Research Society of Selective Methods and Economic Mathematics, and the Special Committee on Family Education Evaluation and Standards of the Chinese Society of Education, among others.

• Teaching and Mentorship Achievements

Prof. Zhou teaches the course "Financial Systems Engineering" at Shanghai University, which has been recognized as part of the second batch of National-level First-class Undergraduate Courses designated by the Ministry of Education of China. It has also been honored as a First-class Undergraduate Course for Shanghai Higher Education Institutions, a Key Course by the Shanghai Educational Commission, and an Excellent Postgraduate Course at Shanghai University. Another course she teaches, "Operations Research," has been approved as a model course taught in English for international students, awarded by the Shanghai Educational Commission.

Prof. Zhou has achieved numerous accolades for her teaching innovations, including the Third Prize in the National College Teachers’ Teaching Innovation Competition, designated by the Ministry of Education of China, the Special Prize in the Shanghai College Teachers’ Teaching Innovation Competition, the Special Prize in the Shanghai University Teachers’ Teaching Innovation Competition, and the First Prize for Shanghai University Teaching Achievements. She is also the lead instructor for online courses offered on the China University Online Learning Platform for National Quality Courses (MOOC) and the National Smart Education Platform for Postgraduate Education.

As an undergraduate tutor across three colleges—School of Management, Qian Weichang College, and Community College—Prof. Zhou is dedicated to enhancing students' abilities in creative problem-solving and advanced critical thinking. She achieves this by guiding them in academic research, enterprise projects, and mathematical competitions. Since joining Shanghai University, she has mentored more than 50 undergraduates, helping them achieve outstanding results, such as the F Award in the Mathematical Contest in Modeling (MCM) in the United States, the Special Prize in the National College Students E-commerce Tri-Innovation Competition in Shanghai, and the First Prize in the Shanghai University Undergraduate Academic Forum.

Many of Prof. Zhou’s students have gone on to pursue master’s or Ph.D. programs at world-renowned universities, including Tsinghua University, Imperial College London, Columbia University, the University of Melbourne, and the National University of Singapore. Prof. Zhou has been honored as the Outstanding Undergraduate Tutor at Shanghai University, the sole recipient in the field of economics and management. She has also received the Outstanding Advisor Award at the Shanghai University Undergraduate Academic Forum twice and the Advisor Award for Outstanding Graduation Thesis at Shanghai University five times. 

In addition to her work with undergraduates, Prof. Zhou has supervised over 100 postdoctoral researchers, doctoral students, master’s students, MBA, and MEM students. More than 30 of her graduate students have been recognized with awards, including the National Scholarship, Shanghai Outstanding Graduate Award, and excellent paper awards at both national and international conferences. Many of her master’s students have also received funding from the China Scholarship Council to pursue doctoral studies at prestigious institutions such as the University of Leuven, Ghent University, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and the Polytechnic University of Valencia, among others.

Many of Prof. Zhou’s graduate students have pursued successful careers as university faculty members at institutions such as the University of Bath, Chongqing University, Shanghai Normal University, Shandong University of Finance and Economics, and the National University of Hanoi, Vietnam, among others. Others have secured positions in financial institutions, including Bridgewater Associates, Dacheng Fund (Shenzhen), Western Securities, Shuanghui Real Estate, Shanghai Pudong Development Bank, China Construction Bank, and the Agricultural Bank of China. Additionally, her graduates are employed in various industries, including technology (Huawei Technologies), consulting (Ernst & Young, KPMG), retail (Nike), logistics (SF Express, JD.com, Ctrip), automotive (NIO), and pharmaceuticals (Sanofi). 

Students with strong skills in mathematics, English, and programming are warmly welcome to join Prof. Zhou’s research team as postdoctoral researchers, Ph.D. candidates, or master's students. This opportunity is particularly suitable for those with a passion for research and a desire to pursue further studies in China or abroad. Undergraduate students seeking research experience and a chance to enhance their comprehensive skills are also encouraged to join the team to participate in academic projects. For students interested in further postgraduate studies, Prof. Zhou can provide recommendations to outstanding supervisors at both domestic and international universities.