Victor Cui

Victor Cui
Conrad Research Excellence Chair, Professor of Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Global Strategy
Location: E7 2418
Status: Active

Biography

Dr. Victor Cui’s research addresses the transformative impacts of geopolitical and technological disruptions on business and society. Widely recognized as a thought leader on geopolitical tensions and shifting paradigms of (de)globalization, his work appears in top-tier academic journals and leading media outlets, such as Fortune, BNN-Bloomberg, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), and the Globe and Mail. Dr. Cui contributes actively to global academic excellence, serving as Senior Editor for three highly respected academic journals and as chair of Canada’s SSHRC Insight Development Grants competition. He is also a member of the Global Roster of Experts for the International Science Council (ISC), advising and influencing critical global issues in science and society. Professor Cui is committed to collaborating with leaders from government, industry, and academia to address pressing challenges facing Canada and the world.

Research
Dr. Cui’s earlier research explores how compensation structures influence innovation outcomes, ranging from incremental improvements to groundbreaking innovations (Yanadori & Cui, 2013; Cui, Ding, & Yanadori, 2019). His studies also examine competitive dynamics arising from exploratory and exploitative partnerships (Cui, Yang, & Vertinsky, 2018) and offer insights into intellectual property rights (IPR) protection for governments and multinational corporations (Brander, Cui, & Vertinsky, 2017; Cui, Narula, Minbaeva, & Vertinsky, 2022).

More recently, his work focuses on evolving geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and China, examining new paradigms of globalization and strategic responses by firms (Cui, Vertinsky, Wang, & Zhou, 2023; Vertinsky, Kuang, Zhou, & Cui, 2023). His current projects also investigate the disruptive effects of artificial intelligence on business and societal structures. Professor Cui’s research has received international recognition and is published in leading journals, including the Strategic Management Journal, Journal of International Business Studies, and Research Policy.

Consultancy
Professor Cui has extensive consultancy experience across various industries, including financial services, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, aviation, and brewing. He has also co-founded several technology startups and joint ventures. For consulting engagements, please reach out via email.

Join His Research Team
Professor Cui welcomes applicants for Ph.D. programs interested in addressing global challenges through interdisciplinary research. He encourages candidates from diverse fields, such as computer and software engineering, data science, statistics, quantum physics, and cognitive sciences. Proficiency in programming languages (e.g., Python, SAS, R, Stata, C, JavaScript) and a solid understanding of AI and machine learning are expected. Visiting scholars, current Ph.D./MSc. students, and motivated undergraduates are also warmly invited to join his dynamic research team. To discuss your innovative research ideas, please reach out via email. Professor Cui looks forward to collaborating on these exciting opportunities.

Research Interests

  • Technological Innovation and Entrepreneurship
  • Global Challenges (e.g., U.S.-China decoupling, paradigm shift in globalization)
  • Global Competition for Talent and Knowledge
  • Artificial Intelligence (AI)
  • Intellectual Property Rights Protection
  • Cooperation and Competition
  • Compensation Strategy

Education

  • Ph.D. Business Administration, Sauder School of Business, University of British Columbia, Canada
  • Ph.D. Engineering Management, Faculty of Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Awards

  • 2024, Best Senior Editor Award, Management and Organization Review
  • 2020, Best Reviewer Award, Journal of International Business Studies
  • 2019 & 2020, Faculty Research Award, Asper School of Business, University of Manitoba
  • 2019, Outstanding Teacher, University of Manitoba
  • 2015 & 2019, Golden Shovel Award, Asper School of Business, University of Manitoba
  • 2010, Best Paper Award, Technology and Innovation Management Division, Administrative Sciences Assocation of Canada
  • 2009, Best Student Paper Award, Technology and Innovation Management Division, Academy of Management
  • 2009, Graduate Teaching Award, University of British Columbia

Service

  • 2024-, Member of Global Roster of Experts, International Science Council (A NGO that advises the UN on global challenges)
  • 2023-, Senior Editor, International Business Review
  • 2022-, Senior Editor, Asia Pacific Journal of Management
  • 2022-, Senior Editor, Management and Organization Review
  • 2016-, Editorial Review Board, Journal of International Business Studies
  • 2019, Guest Editor, Journal of International Business Studies special issue: "Studying Intellectual Property Rights in International Business through Multiple Levels of Analysis"
  • 2022-2024, Chair, Insight Development Grants Adjudication Committee (business, management and related fields), Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), Canada

Teaching*

  • BE 620 - Business Strategy
    • Taught in 2024, 2025
  • BET 607 - Managing Technological Innovation
    • Taught in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024

* Only courses taught in the past 5 years are displayed.

Selected/Recent Publications

  • Cui, V. (2025). Canada can claim its economic sovereignty during the global trade war. The Globe and Mail, April 10, 2025
  • Cui, V., Vertinsky, I., Wang, Y., Zhou, D. (2023). Decoupling in international business: The ‘new’ vulnerability of globalization and MNEs’ response strategies. Journal of International Business Studies (AJG4*), 54(8), 1562-1576.
  • Vertinsky, I., Kuang, Y., Zhou, D., & Cui, V. (2023). The political economy and dynamics of bifurcated world governance and the decoupling of value chains: An alternative perspective. Journal of International Business Studies (AJG4*), 54(7), 1351-1377.
  • Cui, V., Narula, R., Minbaeva, D., & Vertinsky, I. (2022). Towards integrating country-and firm-level perspectives on intellectual property rights. Journal of International Business Studies (AJG4*), 53(9), 1880-1894.
  • Cui, V., Ding, W. W., & Yanadori, Y. (2019). Exploration versus exploitation in technology firms: The role of compensation structure for R&D workforce. Research Policy (AJG4*), 48(6), 1534-1549.
  • Cui, V., Yang, H., & Vertinsky, I. (2018). Attacking your partners: Strategic alliances and competition between partners in product markets. Strategic Management Journal (AJG4*), 39(12), 3116-3139.
  • Brander, J. A., Cui, V., & Vertinsky, I. (2017). China and intellectual property rights: A challenge to the rule of law. Journal of International Business Studies (AJG4*), 48(7), 908-921.
  • Yanadori, Y., & Cui, V. (2013). Creating incentives for innovation? The relationship between pay dispersion in R&D groups and firm innovation performance. Strategic management journal (AJG4*), 34(12), 1502-1511.
  • (Full text access via ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Victor-Cui-2/research)

In The News

Graduate studies