Prestigious Chinese award recognises VBS researcher
Professor Kim Fam will spend part of this year at Jilin University in China following his appointment as a prestigious Changbai Mountain Scholar.
The academic achievement of Victoria Business School’s Professor Kim Fam has been recognised in China with his appointment as a prestigious Changbai Mountain Scholar.
The appointment is the highest honour bestowed on academics by the People's Government of Jilin Province, which awards the position to a number of academics each year based on their journal publications, research projects, grants received, books and overall standing in the academic community.
Professor Fam was "ecstatic" when he learnt of his award.
"It is rare for someone who is not from mainland China to be awarded this scholarship. I believe there were 78 successful applicants this year, of which less than 10 were foreign nationals."
The honour comes with a research grant of NZ$115,000 over three years, and Professor Fam is expecting to put the funding towards an international research project he leads called 'Chopsticks Marketing'.
The project began last year and examines the importance of business ethics and etiquette in the buyer-seller relationship. It involves 55 researchers, including two fellow academics from Victoria’s School of Marketing and International Business.
"My research looks at 70 countries across five continents, and this research grant will allow me to undertake research not only in China, but also in other countries. It also allows me to attend conferences and hire research assistants."
Professor Fam will spend part of this year at Jilin University of Finance and Economics' Yatai Business School where he will disseminate research findings to staff and wider public, as well as train marketing staff and potentially establish a research centre.