Lingling Ma

Lingling Ma is an early career researcher (R1) affiliated with the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration at Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski". She is currently a PhD Candidate in Business Administration, focusing on 'Artificial Intelligence Readiness and Adoption in SMEs', with her dissertation defense scheduled for October 2024. Her academic background includes a Bachelor's in Marketing (2013-2017) and a Master's in Human Resources Development (2018-2020), both from Sofia University, followed by an exchange year at the University of Saarland (Germany) during her PhD (2020-2024).

Her research emphasizes technology adoption in small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) and bilateral economic collaboration between China and Bulgaria. She holds a PMR certification from PMI-Bulgaria and has actively contributed to initiatives like the 'International Scientific-Practical Conference on China-CEE Cooperation' and entrepreneurship competitions. Her work bridges technological innovation and cross-cultural business strategies, reflecting her commitment to fostering economic ties between Eastern Europe and Asia.

Lingling Ma’s professional engagements include presentations at international conferences on topics such as SME digital transformation and China-Bulgaria economic partnerships. She is supported by Bulgaria’s National Program for Young Researchers and Postdocs, highlighting her role in advancing early-stage academic research in business and technology.