Dr Zhang He currently holds the position of Principal Lecturer in Learning and Teaching at Teesside University International Business School. Zhang is an international macroeconomist with an emphasis on applied econometrics and has a strong track record of strategic planning, implementation, academic quality assurance, and curriculum development.

Dr He earned his PhD in Economics from the University of Bradford in 2014. Since joining Teesside University in 2013, he has taken on various leadership roles and significantly contributed to academic excellence in the school/university. His efforts have included course development and leadership at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, participation in policy reviews, implementing the academic quality assurance and leading enterprise projects. His work also spans teaching economics across diverse programmes, working in university-wide academic initiatives, and serving/leading on multiple policy and quality assurance boards and committees.

Beyond roles in learning & teaching, Dr He is an active researcher and internal/external examiner, actively contributing to economic policy discussions and supervising doctoral students. His main research interests include monetary and fiscal policy in the context of European economic integration, business cycle convergence, financial inclusion, green energy & economic growth, and labour market & skills. He has collaborated on externally commissioned projects and presented academic works at international conferences.

Membership of Professional Associations:

• The University Association for Contemporary European Studies (UACES)
• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
• Royal Economic Society 

Zhang's current research interests centre on

• the synchronisation of EMU business cycles
• effectiveness of ECB monetary policy
• fiscal policy/government debts and long-term interest rates of government bonds in the Eurozone
• enterprise activities and economic growth
• financial development, natural resources, and renewable energy
• labour markets, skill gaps and productivity  

Zhang is interested in economics-focused/related PhD research, especially in the area of Macroeconomics and the European Monetary Union.

Doctoral Students Supervised 

• Reshma Muralidharan – DBA, Primary Supervisor, Thesis title: Factors Impacting Workplace Relationships and Operational Effectiveness of Geographically Dispersed Teams in Banking and Financial Services in Singapore and India, (2020 -2024, completed)
• Alhasan Salem Moftah Osman – PhD, Co-Supervisor, Thesis title: Essays on Renewable Energy, Non-renewable Energy and Natural Resources in Sub-Saharan Africa, (2022 - 2025, completed)

The main teaching interests of Dr Zhang He are macroeconomics, international economics, and the economics of the European Monetary Union, globalisation and international business.