Professor Zhifang Zhou, born in February 1982 in Xiangxiang, Hunan, is a distinguished professor and doctoral supervisor at the Business School of Central South University. He holds a Ph.D. in Management (Business Administration-Accounting) and has completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Ecological Economics and Management.

He has been selected for the prestigious Furong Talent Program in Hunan Province as a leading scholar (Outstanding Young Scholar of Hunan Province). He serves in multiple leadership roles, including Head of the Doctoral Program in Accounting and Professional Doctorate in Accounting (DPAcc), Head of the Doctoral Program in Business Administration, and Head of the Master's Program in Technological Economics and Management.

Dr. Zhou is the Deputy Director of the first batch of Hunan Province’s 2011 Collaborative Innovation Centers—Two-Oriented Society and Ecological Civilization Collaborative Innovation Center. He also serves as the Director of the Accounting Research Center, Vice President of the Hunan Provincial Financial Society, Executive Director of the Hunan Provincial Accounting Discipline Alliance, and an expert member of the Hunan Provincial Accounting Advisory Committee. Additionally, he is an expert for China Watch Institute and the China Accounting Alliance Think Tank.

Professional affiliations

1.  Member of the "Environmental and Resource Accounting" Committee of the Accounting Society of China

2.  Director of the "Data Intelligence and Smart Society" branch of the Society of Management Science and Engineering

3.  Member of the "Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Computing" Special Committee of the Chinese Society of Information Economics

Dr. Zhou has led nearly 30 research projects funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), the National Social Science Foundation of China (NSSFC), and the Ministry of Education’s Humanities and Social Sciences Fund. He has also played a key role as a sub-project leader or core member in more than 50 major and key projects, including NSFC Innovation Groups, Major and Key Projects of NSFC and NSSFC, and Major Projects of the Ministry of Education’s Humanities and Social Sciences Fund.

He has authored four monographs, one model demonstration textbook, co-authored six books, and contributed to three textbooks. His research has been widely published, with over 120 academic papers in leading domestic and international journals, including 《Journal of Supply Chain Management》  《International Journal of  Operations & Production Management 》 《British Accounting Review》 《Business Strategy and the Environment 》《Journal of Environmental Managemen》《Sustainability Accounting,  Management and Policy Journal》 《Yokohama Business Review (Japan)》  《Accounting Research (China)》

Among these, nearly 50 papers have been indexed by SCI and SSCI, including several highly cited papers recognized by ESI.

Dr. Zhou has been ranked twice among the "Top 100 Most Influential Scholars in Accounting" within the Management Science discipline of Chinese Philosophy and Social Sciences. Additionally, multiple policy recommendations based on his research have been directly adopted and reported to national leaders by the General Office of the Central Committee, receiving affirmative feedback from high-level government officials.