Dr. Xi Wang (right) in 2024 President's Awards and Long Service Awards Presentation Ceremony

In 2024 UIC President's Awards and Long Service Awards Presentation Ceremony held on September 10, Dr. Xi Wang, Assistant Professor in Culture, Creativity, and Management Programme (CCM), got UIC President’s Award as a Young Researcher.

Dr. Xi Wang has extensive knowledge and research expertise in the areas of culture, tourism, and leisure. His research specialties encompass marketing, consumer behavior, and the application of big data analysis. Using advanced techniques such as data mining, sentiment analysis, and social network analysis, Dr. Wang provides an in-depth exploration of consumer behavior and characteristics in the cultural and tourism industries.

Dr. Wang has made remarkable academic contributions, having published over 20 academic studies in prestigious journals such as Tourism Management, International Journal of Hospitality Management, and Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research. He has presented more than 40 conference papers at various international academic conferences and serves as an editorial board member and professional reviewer for several journals. His research has gained widespread attention and recognition, significantly contributing to academical and theoretical innovation in the fields of culture and tourism.

In the realm of teaching, Dr. Wang has amassed extensive teaching experience in both China and the US. His courses cover essential areas such as business management, tourism and services, and the cultural and creative industries. He is dedicated to equipping students with a multidimensional knowledge and skills, enabling them to confidently face the business challenges posed by globalization.

In terms of university service, Dr. Wang plays a leading role in the Academic Research Committee of his school. He promotes the standardization of academic research while encouraging innovative thinking to improve the quality of research. Additionally, he supports students in career planning and provides professional and personalized guidance to help them efficiently map out their future career paths, balancing academic and personal development needs.

Dr. Wang places great emphasis on fostering students' academic research abilities, actively encouraging them to participate in academic activities, and providing professional mentorship. He has cooperated several academic works with students, including 6 SSCI journal papers. At the international academic conferences and events, Dr. Wang has guided students in publishing more than 20 conference papers, including one Best Paper Award (2022 APacCHRIE) and one Best Paper Award nomination (2022 Central CHRIE conference). He also led student teams to win 2nd prize in Guangdong Province’s SODiC & ZODIAC Big Data Competition.

Dr. Wang believes that a passion for research stems from the desire to explore the unknown, a deep love for one’s research discipline, and a sense of accomplishment after solving problems. Additionally, the continuous pursuit of cutting-edge knowledge and the need to keep an active mind are the driving forces that push researchers to make progress. These factors intertwine to motivate researchers to forge ahead bravely on the journey of exploration and discovery!