Wenxuan Hou

• Course Leader for Shareholder Value and ESG (MSc), Foundation of Finance Theory (MSc) and Financial Development (MSc)
• Joint Editor: British Accounting Review
• Editor-in-Chief: Journal of Chinese Economic and Business Studies

Professor Wenxuan Hou (Wen) is the Professor and Chair of Corporate Finance at the University of Edinburgh, a position he has held since 2016. His research spans corporate finance, climate finance, fintech, and financial development, with a recent emphasis on how historical legacies and social dynamics shape economic and financial systems. His research has been published in a range of academic journals, including the Journal of Financial Economics, Journal of Financial Intermediation, Journal of Corporate Finance, European Journal of Operational Research, Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Auditing: A Journal of Practice & Theory, and Energy Economics, among others. He also published six books and has received multiple awards for his contributions to teaching and mentorship, including the Award for Excellence in Doctoral Supervision and several Best Teaching Awards.

Professor Hou is an elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE) and Member of the Academia Europaea (MAE). He previously served as Co-Chair of the Young Academy of Scotland (2018-2021) and 30th President of the Chinese Economic Association (UK/Europe). He is Co-Editor of the British Accounting Review (2021- April 2025) - the flagship journal of the British Accounting and Finance Association (BAFA), and Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Chinese Economic and Business Studies (2020- July 2025) - a journal on sustainable development based at TMCD University of Oxford. He also holds an honorary professorship at the University of Cape Town. He received his PhD from Manchester Business School and worked at Durham University before joining the University of Edinburgh in 2012.

Professor Hou’s research focuses on corporate finance and financial development, with a recent emphasis on how historical legacies, institutional structures, and social dynamics shape modern financial systems. His work integrates finance, law, and technology to analyse market behaviour, regulatory impacts, and sustainable development.

Recent Publications:

• Lu, J., Hou, W., & Main, B. G. (2025). The cultural legacy of historical ethnic violence: The impact on access to finance and innovation. Journal of Financial Intermediation, 61, 101119.
• Liu, X., Hou, W., & Main, B. G. (2024). Military experience and subsequent effectiveness as a director. Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 222, 144-176.
• Hou, W., Li, M., Main, B. G., & Liu, X. (2023). Pandemics and financial development: A lesson from the 1918 influenza pandemic. Journal of Corporate Finance, 83, 102498.
• Liu, X., Hou, W., & Main, B. G. (2022). Anti-market sentiment and corporate social responsibility: Evidence from anti-Jewish pogroms. Journal of Corporate Finance, 76, 102260.
• An, J., Hou, W., & Lin, C. (2022). Epidemic disease and financial development. Journal of Financial Economics, 143(1), 332-358.

Potential areas for PhD and MSc/MA supervision include:

• Historical influences on finance – The impact of past socio-political events on corporate finance, financial markets, and development.
• Sustainability and ESG finance – Climate risks, carbon markets, ESG factors, and their role in corporate strategy and investment.
• Fintech and digital finance – AI, digital currencies, alternative finance, and their implications for financial markets.
• Investor behaviour and corporate governance – Institutional ownership, and leadership structures affecting market outcomes.