Professor of Economics · Financial Markets Practitioner
KU-HSIEH
CHEN
Bridging rigorous economic research, financial-market practice, and academic leadership.
Ph.D.Economics
20+Years in academia
SSCIInternational research
National Ilan UniversityYilan · Taiwan
01PROFILE
Ku-Hsieh Chen is Professor and Chair of the Department of Applied Economics and Management at National Ilan University, Taiwan.
His work sits at the intersection of financial economics, cryptoeconomics, productivity analysis, and applied econometrics. He combines economic theory with empirical evidence to study how institutions, technology, and markets shape economic performance.
Before entering academia, Professor Chen worked as a professional fixed-income trader. That market experience continues to inform his research, teaching, and public commentary on cryptocurrency, digital finance, investment, and modern financial institutions.
Based atNational Ilan University, Taiwan
EducationPh.D. in Economics, Tamkang University
Research agenda
Economic insight, grounded in evidence.
A research portfolio spanning emerging digital markets, firm and industry performance, financial institutions, and applied empirical methods.
Financial Economics
Efficiency & Productivity
Applied Econometrics
Data Mining & Visualization
Energy Economics
Industrial Economics
Business Valuation
Leadership & practice
Experience across markets and institutions.
Chair
Department of Applied Economics and Management, National Ilan University
Board Supervisor
South-Link Medical Foundation
Chief Secretary & Executive Director, Office of Institutional Research
National Ilan University
Associate Dean
College of Humanities and Management, National Ilan University
Complete journal record
All journal publications, in full.
31 peer-reviewed journal articles published from 2007 to 2025. * Corresponding author.
Small Business Economics
Environment, social & governance (ESG) initiatives, scores & firm performance: The role of firm size
Forthcoming · SSCI
Small Business Economics
Are family firms more efficient? Revisiting the U-shaped curve of firm scale and efficiency
61, 983–1008 · SSCI
International Journal of Finance & Economics
To sell the cow and drink the milk: How could China harmonize its growth and risk?
27, 2949–2964 · SSCI
International Journal of Finance & Economics
Determinants of non-performing loans, firm's corporate governance and macroeconomic factors
27, 88–98
International Journal of Finance & Economics
Depreciate to save the economy? An empirical evidence worldwide
26, 1563–1585 · SSCI
Sustainability
Energy efficiency: Indicator, estimation, and a new idea
12, 1944 · SSCI
European Review
Gain from integration? An empirical hint from the Eurozone
28, 483–512 · SSCI
Applied Economics Letters
A U-shaped curve phenomenon of international language on output growth: Empirical evidence
27, 605–614 · SSCI
Sustainability
Analysis of environmental productivity on fossil fuel power plants in the U.S.
11, 6907 · SSCI
International Marketing Review
The impact of online movie word-of-mouth on consumer choice: A comparison of American and Chinese consumers
Forthcoming · SSCI
Contemporary Economic Policy
Is full efficiency achievable? An empirical study of the banking industry in Taiwan
27, 195–209 · SSCI
Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education
Understanding the perceived quality of professors' teaching effectiveness in various disciplines: The moderating effects of teaching at top colleges
44, 449–462 · SSCI
Energy Efficiency
The impact of energy prices on energy consumption and energy efficiency: Evidence from Taiwan
9, 1329–1349 · SSCI
The Singapore Economic Review
The relation between bond funds investor flows and volatility
61, 1150102 · SSCI
Agricultural Economics (Zemědělská ekonomika)
A cross-country analysis of efficiency and productivity in the biotech industry: An application of the generalized metafrontier Malmquist productivity index
61, 116–134 · SSCI
The Singapore Economic Review
The relationship between CO₂ emissions and financial development: Evidence from OECD countries
60, 1150117 · SSCI
Applied Economics
Who upholds the surging gold price? The role of the central bank worldwide
46(22), 2557–2575 · SSCI
The Journal of Developing Areas
Threshold effects of technological regimes for the stochastic frontier model
48(2), 223–254 · EconLit
Research in Higher Education
Appraising the cost efficiency of higher technological and vocational education institutions in Taiwan using the metafrontier cost-function model
54, 627–663 · SSCI
Journal of Banking & Finance
Incorporating risk input into the analysis of bank productivity: Application to the Taiwanese banking industry
36, 1911–1927 · SSCI
Journal of Productivity Analysis
A cross-country comparison of productivity growth using a generalized metafrontier Malmquist productivity index: With application to banking industries in Taiwan and China
35(2), 197–212 · SSCI
Global Economic Review
Revealing the international spillovers structure of innovation for the Asian region
40(1), 83–121 · SSCI
Applied Economics
Spillover effects of innovation: Taiwanese evidence
42(26), 3417–3437 · SSCI
Energy Economics
Cost efficiency and optimal scale of Taiwan's electricity distribution industry: An application of metafrontier analysis
32(1), 15–23 · SSCI
Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research
Appraising the economic impact of the 'opening-up to Mainland Chinese tourist arrivals' policy on Taiwan with a tourism-CGE model
15(2), 156–175 · SSCI
China Economic Review
Analysis of regional productivity growth in China: A generalized metafrontier MPI approach
20(4), 777–792 · SSCI
Journal of Policy Research in Tourism, Leisure and Events
A general equilibrium analysis of the economic impact of a tourism crisis: A case study of the SARS epidemic in Taiwan
1(1), 37–60 · Scopus
Small Business Economics
Are small firms really less efficient?
32(4), 375–395 · SSCI
Problems and Perspectives in Management
Are R&D firms more efficient? Two-step switching stochastic frontier approach
7(4), 62–74 · EconLit
Taiwan Economic Review
Extensions of the metafrontier Malmquist productivity index: An empirical study with cross-country macro-data
36(4), 551–580 · EconLit · TSSCI
Australasian Journal of Regional Studies
The impact of agglomerative industrial dynamic externalities on regional technology gaps: The case of the ICT industry in Taiwan
13(3), 325–350 · EconLit
Education & global engagement
Academic foundations with an international outlook.
Higher Education
Department of Industrial Economics
Tamkang University, Taiwan
Department of Economics
Shih Hsin University, Taiwan
International Appointments
Visiting Professor
Business & Hotel Management School (BHMS), Switzerland
Visiting Professor
Department of Economics, Wichita State University, USA
Guest Professor
Baoshan University, China
Guest Professor
International College, Siam University, Thailand
Books & teaching
Turning economic ideas into lasting learning resources.
2028
Introduction to Cryptocurrency Economics: Blockchain, Digital Money, and the Future of Finance
Cambridge Scholars Publishing, United Kingdom · forthcoming2018
Macroeconomics
National Open University Press, Taipei · in Chinese2017
Microeconomics
National Open University Press, Taipei · in ChineseFunded & commissioned research
Research designed to answer consequential economic questions.
Energy Efficiency: Indicator, Estimation, and a New Idea
Ministry of Science and Technology
Serial Courses on Asset Appraisal
AIPT International Law Office
Credit Co-operatives’ Beauty and Sorrow: An Efficiency Viewpoint from Taiwan
Ministry of Science and Technology
Gain from Integration? An Empirical Hint from the Eurozone
Ministry of Science and Technology
The Ideal and Reality for Bank Performance: Is Full Efficiency Achievable?
Ministry of Science and Technology
Who Sustains the High Gold Price? The Role of the Central Bank Worldwide
National Science Council
Energy Prices, Industrial Energy Consumption, and Energy Efficiency
Industrial Technology Research Institute
An Overall Review of Industrial Restructuring for Yilan County
National Science Council
Threshold Effects of Technological Regimes for the Stochastic Frontier Model
National Science Council
Risk Input and Bank Productivity in Taiwan
National Science Council
International Spillovers of Innovation: Asian Evidence
National Science Council
Recognition & service
Contributing to the academic community.
Recipient of Taiwan's flexible-wage awards for retaining top faculty in multiple years from 2010 to 2018, conferred by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Science and Technology.
Journal referee
Journal of Banking & Finance · Small Business Economics · Journal of Productivity Analysis · Empirical Economics · International Journal of Finance & Economics · Applied Economics · Contemporary Economic Policy · Higher Education · Emerging Markets Finance and Trade · The Singapore Economic Review, among others.
Teaching portfolio
Courses across economics, finance, analytics, and management.
A selected teaching portfolio developed across undergraduate, graduate, and executive education.
Global Economic Perspectives
CourseBusiness Planning and Management Communication
Course websiteCryptocurrency Economics
CourseInvestments
CourseBusiness Valuation: Theory and Practice
CourseMarketing Management
CourseMacroeconomics
CourseMicroeconomics
CourseIndustrial Economics
CourseTime Series Analysis
CourseEconometrics
CourseCalculus
CourseStatistics
CourseFinancial Markets
CourseInternational Economics
CourseFinancial Economics
CourseData Visualization Design and Practice
CourseHuman Resource Management
CourseProgramming Languages
CourseInstitutionNational Ilan University
Current roleProfessor & Department Chair
Academic focusEconomics · Finance · Productivity
Professional credentialCertified Business Valuator