Portsmouth Professor elected Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences

Jia Liu, a Professor of Accounting and Finance from the Faculty of Business and Law at the University of Portsmouth, has been elected as a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences (FAcSS). 

She joins 74 newly appointed Fellows recognised for their outstanding contributions to social science research and its application to society. The group comprises individuals from diverse UK organisations, including 36 universities, as well as think tanks, research institutes, public research funding bodies, and from countries beyond the UK, including Canada, China, Hong Kong, Macau, and New Zealand.  

Professor Liu is Director of Portsmouth's Centre for Innovative and Sustainable Finance. She joined the University in 2020. Alongside her role, she holds visiting and adjunct professorships at several institutions internationally. She has advised on major projects for governmental and industry bodies, including EU-China collaborations, Chinese government initiatives, and the UK's Co-operative Bank. 

She has published more than 80 papers, including 16 in FT50 and ABS-4 rated journals such as the Journal of Corporate Finance, Journal of Business Ethics, and the British Journal of Management, and has co-authored two monographs on corporate governance, sustainability and digital business. Working with international partners, she has secured research funding from UK and overseas research councils and Fortune Global 500 companies, supporting projects spanning blue carbon restoration, FinTech, energy pricing, and climate risk and governance. 

Professor Liu's research has explored how workplace laws, political connections and tax honesty affect the way companies behave and how much investors trust them. She has found that US laws protecting LGBTQIA+ workers have also led to more women being appointed to company boards. She has shown that when Chinese company directors have strong political connections, this can make investors value the company's cash more highly. And she has found that global companies who are open about paying their taxes find it cheaper to raise money from investors, while those seen as dodging tax end up paying more. 

Professor Liu's contribution to academia has previously been recognised with the Fellowship of the British Academy of Management in 2025 and a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2025 for her contribution to UK academic accounting and finance, as well as Best Paper awards from the European Journal of Management, the British Academy of Management, the Southwestern Finance Association and the Eurasian Business and Economics Society.  

She is also an elected Council member of the British Academy of Management, responsible for research and publication strategy and policy, and holds leadership roles within the British Accounting and Finance Association, including founding chair of its Corporate Finance and Asset Pricing Special Interest Group. 

On receiving this prestigious recognition, Professor Liu said: "I am honoured to be elected a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences. Accounting and finance research can help us address many of the major challenges confronting society, from environmental sustainability and corporate accountability to social inequality and financial inclusion. It is particularly rewarding to see my research contribute to a deeper understanding of how financial systems influence institutions and societal outcomes. This recognition inspires me to continue to work towards a more just, inclusive and sustainable global future, and to strengthen the connections between research, policy and practice.” 

The Academy’s Fellowship comprises 1,750 leading social scientists from academia, the public, private and third sectors. Fellows’ expertise covers the breadth of the social sciences, and their practice and research help to understand and address some of the major challenges facing communities, society, places and economies.  

All Academy Fellows are elected for their excellence in their fields and their substantial contributions to social science for public benefit. Selection is through an independent peer review, which recognises their excellence and impact.   

Will Hutton, President of the Academy of Social Sciences (FAcSS), said: “Our newest Fellows represent some of the most influential voices in social science today. Their work is expanding knowledge, challenging assumptions and generating insights that are informing and even redefining decision making across government, business, education and civil society. I am delighted to welcome them to the Academy and look forward to working with them to raise the profile and impact of the social sciences across the UK and beyond.”