Haifeng Huang is a distinguished academic and thought leader in sustainable development, environmental management and responsible leadership. He currently serves as Senior Advisor and Adjunct Professor at the School of Environment and Energy, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School; Senior Advisor of Zigen Fund and Council Member of the China Zigen Rural Education and Development Promotion Association; and Adjunct Professor at Nanjing Audit University. In 2026, he assumed the new role of Series Editor for Springer’s book series Transformative Education for Eco-innovation and Responsible Management, where he guides its strategic vision and academic direction.
As Co-Founder and Executive Chair of Ecological Development Union International (EDUI), Huang has played a pivotal role in advancing sustainable practices in China, particularly in the areas of waste management and the transition to a green economy.
He earned his PhD from Humboldt University of Berlin in 2000. His academic journey also includes studies at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center for Chinese and American Studies (1991–1992), the School of Economics at Peking University (1988–1991) and Dalian Jiaotong University (1979–1983). He has held visiting scholar appointments at the China Research Center of the University of Hawaii, the Donald Bren School of Environmental Science & Management at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) and the International Development Law Organization.
Huang’s research spans sustainable development strategy, environmental management, business ethics, economic transition, green leadership and responsible management education. Over the course of his career, he has held several academic positions across different countries.
Huang has organised and chaired numerous international forums, including China’s First Beijing International Forum on WTO Accession, the China International Forum on Financial Risk Management and high-level dialogues such as “Energy and Environment — Cooperation and Challenge” at Nanjing University and “The Prospects of Sino-US Higher Education Exchange and Cooperation.” He has been elected Vice President of the US-China Finance Association, President of the China Alumni Association of Humboldt University of Berlin and Vice Chair of the German-Austrian Branch of the Western Returned Scholars Association. He has also been invited as a Visiting Professor at Freie Universität Berlin and as an expert by Chinese government ministries in Sino-German intergovernmental cooperation.
In 2015, he co-chaired sessions with the renowned French economist Pierre Calame at the “China-EU Urbanization Partnership Forum” hosted by the European Commission. As Founding Director of the PHBS Green Economy Research Center at Peking University, he co-founded the Environmental Auditing Committee of the Chinese Society for Environmental Sciences in 2015 and served as its Deputy Chair.
Huang has led numerous national-level environmental policy research projects, contributing significantly to the theory and practice of environmental auditing in China. He also serves as Lifetime Advisor to the Student Green+ Association at Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, which was named one of the “Top Ten Student Associations of Peking University” in 2025.
His policy contributions have been recognised by multiple state ministries, particularly in waste management and green economy transition. His research and publications—including over ten books—have informed national legislation such as China’s Recycling Economy Promotion Law. His 2009 proposal on waste classification received the Most Influential Proposal Award in Beijing. His work Recycling Economy in Germany was honoured with the Ministry of Education’s “Outstanding Achievement Award for Scientific Research in Higher Education Institutions” (Humanities and Social Sciences) and the Excellent Environmental Science & Technology Award from the Chinese Society for Environmental Sciences.
Huang’s contributions continue to shape the global discourse on responsible management education and sustainable development. He has received national and international recognition for his work in promoting responsible management education and sustainable development.
