After completing my undergraduate study in China, I came to the Lancaster University Management School to study a postgraduate programme because of its good reputation in research and education. In 2011, I completed my MSc Finance programme at LUMS. Also, during that year, I was impressed by the research atmosphere and supporting staff in the department. I made the decision to carry on and pursue the PhD Accounting and Finance programme at LUMS.

During my PhD study, my research interests focused on empirical studies about how option-implied information helps explain stock returns. My supervisors were experts in the relevant research areas and they were very passionate about the research and very helpful to provide me with insights and guidance. They helped me to improve not only my research content but also my general skills in carrying out research.

The department also provided a lot of support to PhD students, which was essential for my research. For example, I had sufficient and quick access to the majority of data needed for my research as well as many chances to present my working papers in various international conferences. This allowed me to meet with researchers working in relevant areas to share ideas and insights. Furthermore, regular weekly internal and external research seminars organised by the department provided a lot of valuable chances for me to meet world-class researchers and this broadened my perspective by learning from the best.

In addition to academic research, living in Lancaster was also a great experience and a memorable part of my life. The staff on campus were always efficient and very helpful. The modern IT systems, new library and sports centre provided me with a great environment to live and study. Apart from this, Lancaster is also a very cosy place full of tradition and history, and the local citizens were very helpful and friendly.

After finishing my PhD study, I joined the University of Liverpool from January 2016, and I am currently working as a Lecturer in Finance.