Belk College faculty member receives Chamber’s young professional award

Victor Chen, assistant professor of international management in the Belk College of Business, has received the 2015 Young Professional (YP) Educator Award from the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce Young Professionals (YPs).

The Charlotte Chamber YPs honored 24 finalists who are between 21 and 39 years of age in six categories. The awards were presented earlier this month at the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Chen received the YP Educator Award, which recognizes an individual who is a dedicated teacher, professor or administrator who has made a tremendous impact in the educational institution and community in which they serve. Nominees not only contribute to the academic success of their students but help to prepare students for a successful life as productive citizens in society.

The author of more than 30 articles, Chen recently was acknowledged by International Business Perspectives at European International Business Academy as “an emerging international business scholar.” He is co-founder and associate editor of Transnational Corporations Review, a journal that bridges foreign direct investment knowledge and practice. Chen also is a Fellow at Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment at Columbia University, leading a global research network of researchers on outward foreign direct investment based in some 20 large emerging markets.

He was born in China, educated in China and Canada and moved to Charlotte from Vancouver in August 2012 to join UNC Charlotte. Chen earned his Ph.D. in strategy and international business with distinction from Simon Fraser University (SFU).

At UNC Charlotte, he teaches both undergraduate and MBA international business courses. His MBA teaching adopts an engaged model, in which he advises his students to provide free consulting reports to major international business players in Charlotte.

“As an educator in Charlotte’s urban research business school, my core mission is to make positive change in the business community through my teaching and research. My work helps to identify the gap between the knowledge and practice of international business and find solutions to business dilemmas faced every day,” he said.

Chen is quick to thank his students, who work very diligently to help the international business community in Charlotte through their real-world assignments and projects in his MBA class, and to thank the Chamber for the nomination and recognition. “I’d like to thank Eileen Cai, one of the Chamber guests in my MBA class, for the nomination, and Dr. David Woehr for the professional reference.”

“What motivates me most is the success of my students and the positive feedbacks from the business communities that are using the knowledge I created,” Chen said. “This award is a high honor from the Charlotte young professional community. Charlotte is really an emerging market within a developed market, combining both fast growing business opportunities and high-quality resources such as higher education for young professionals.”

His advice to young professionals: “Always do what you enjoy, so you can enjoy what you do.”

Photo credit: Charlotte Vibe for Charlotte Chamber Young Professionals